Use Only Approved Species from Approved Sources

Bivalves are strongly affected by contaminated water because they are filter-feeders. They take in both oxygen and nutrients by drawing seawater through their system. As they do this, they absorb contaminants. To ensure that bivalves are safe, government regulations require the water from which they are harvested to be regularly tested. Each wholesale container of wild-harvested bivalves must be tagged with the date and place the product was harvested and the name of the person or company that harvested it. To comply with food safety rules, you must keep the tags from your purchases for the length of time specified by local regulations. This helps government officials trace the source of any food-borne illness that may result from eating the shellfish. Because of the risk of contamination, many garde manger chefs prefer to use farm-raised bivalves for both raw and cooked applications (see sidebar).