The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released a factsheet on the 2022 Food Code definition and requirements for “in-shell product,” which is a sub-category of molluscan shellfish that requires special parameters for safe handling. The new definition aligns the Food Code with the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish.
In the 2022 FDA Food Code, “in-shell product” is defined as nonliving, processed shellfish with one or both shells present. Common examples include, but are not limited to, individually quick-frozen (IQF) oysters, whole frozen shellfish, banded high-pressure treated oysters, and irradiated oysters. Such products may or may not be treated to limit pathogens, such as Vibrio. Pathogens are of particular concern to in-shell products because: