Plant inspections of all shellfish shippers and processors are conducted routinely by certified Shellfish Program staff to ensure compliance with national food safety regulations and those specific to the shellfish industry.

The Shellfish Program has the authority to suspend or terminate any shellfish operation which does not meet the mandatory guidelines of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) Model Ordinance.

Plant inspections are also important because they insure proper record keeping, which is essential to the process of tracking, embargoing or recalling any shellfish product suspected of contamination within or outside of the State of Delaware. The NSSP Model Ordinance and shellfish plant regulations can be found on the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) web site under the NSSP guide.

For information on becoming a certified shellfish dealer please call 302-739-9939 or send an email with your request to Andrew Bell at Andrew.Bell@delaware.gov.

Note: Special requirements must be met and training obtained before individuals or companies can be considered for certification.

Related Topics:  aquaculture, assessment, clean water, inspections, shellfish, water quality, watershed, watershed stewardship