This document provides guidance on safely handling and storing seafood to prevent foodborne illness. It discusses proper techniques for keeping seafood clean and cold during purchase, transport, storage and preparation. Specific tips are provided for freshness checking and proper thawing of different types of seafood like fish and shellfish.

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Name: __________________________ Grade & Section: ___________
I. Learning Competencies:
 Handle seafood hygienically
 Thaw frozen seafood correctly to ensure maximum quality and maintain
nutritional value
II. INTRODUCTORY CONCEPT:
This SMILE Learner’s Packets, helps you understand the proper ways of
handling fish and seafood. This includes handling seafood hygienically and
thawing frozen seafood correctly to ensure maximum quality and maintain
nutritional value
Safe handling and storage of seafood should follow the basic guidelines to reduce
the risk of food-borne illness and ensure a quality product. You can't see the
seafood’s dangerous bacteria so you'll have to treat them as if they are there. Like
Salmonella and E. coli are bacteria that can cause foodborne disease which often
occur on seafood.
Qualities of Fresh Fish and other Seafood
1. Fresh and mild odor
2. Eyes are clear, shiny, and bulging
3. Red or pink gills
4. Texture of flesh is firm or elastic
5. Shiny scales, and tightly cling, on
skin
PREPARE & COOK SEAFOOD DISHES
QUARTER 2, Week 7

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Shellfish
1. Oysters, clams, mussels in the shell must be alive. Tightly closed shells when
jostled.
2. Live or shucked oysters must
have a very mild, sweet smell.
3. Discard any mussels that are very
light in weight or seem to be
hollow.
4. Strong fishy odor or a brownish color is a sign of age or spoilage.
5. Live lobster must be alive when cooked. The meat will be firm and the tail
springs back when straightened.
6. Frozen shrimp should be solidly frozen when received.
7. Glazed shrimp should be shiny with no freezer burn.
8. All shrimps should smell fresh and sweet. A strong fishy or iodine smell
indicates age or spoilage.
9. Live crabs should be kept alive until cooked.
10. Frozen crabmeat should be treated like any other frozen fish.
HANDLING AND PREPARING SEAFOOD
These are the key points to remember when handling and preparing seafood:
1. Keep it clean — your hands, your work area, your utensils.
▪ Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling fish
▪ Maintain a clean workplace
▪ To prevent contamination, tools and utensils such as cutting board,
knife, tables, and plates should be scrubbed with hot soapy water after every use.

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2. Keep raw seafood away from other raw or cooked foods and vice versa to
prevent cross-contamination.
▪ Raw seafood should not be placed near cooked foods and raw vegetables
served as salads and raw fruits to prevent contamination.
3. Keep it cold — from the store to your home, in your refrigerator or freezer,
and cool down leftovers quickly.
▪ Seafood should be purchased last since it is highly perishable to avoid
exposure to high temperature
▪ Pack the seafood in ice or cooler especially if you live far from the market.
▪ Keep the seafood under 320F to maintain the quality.
4. Keep it moving — use fish within two days after purchase
▪ Shelf life varies with the species, from as long as ten days for oysters in the
shell to one day for fresh squid. When in doubt, throw it out.
HANDLING AND STORING SEAFOOD
Seafood’s storage life depends on how well you take care of it, whether it is a
whole fish or a live oyster. When your seafood purchase arrives home, store it in
the coldest part of your refrigerator at a temperature as close to 32°F as possible.
Many home refrigerators operate at 40°F; therefore, fish will lose quality faster.
A. FISH
▪ Fish bruises easily, so lift a whole fish with both hands and avoid holding it
by the tail.
▪ Pack dressed fish on ice in the refrigerator.
▪ Seal fillets or steaks in plastic bags or containers; then cover them with ice in
trays or pans. Empty the meltwater regularly and add more ice as necessary.
▪ Fish that is not prepackaged should be washed under cold, running water and
patted dry with an absorbent paper towel.
▪ The fish should then be wrapped in moisture-proof paper or plastic wrap,
placed in a heavy plastic bag, or stored in an air-tight, rigid container until ready for
cooking.
▪ The shelf life of fish depends on the variety and its quality at time of purchase.
In general, you should use fish quickly — within one to two days.
B. SHELLFISH - Handling and storage guidelines vary according to the variety
of shellfish you purchase.
▪ Store live shellfish in a shallow dish covered with damp towels or moistened
paper towels.
▪ Never put live shellfish in water or in an air-tight container where they could
suffocate and die.
▪ Scrub live oysters, clams, and mussels with a stiff brush such as a vegetable
brush just prior to shucking or cooking.

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▪ Mussels and clams in the shell (live) should be used within two to three days;
oysters in the shell, from seven to 10 days.
▪ Some shells may open during storage. If so, tap them. They will close if alive;
if not, discard them.
▪ Store shrimp, squid, and shucked shellfish in a leak-proof bag, plastic
container, or covered jar. Squid and freshly shucked clams have a shelf life of one to
two days. Shrimp and scallops have a shelf life of about two to three days. And freshly
shucked oysters have a shelf life of five to seven days.
▪ Live lobsters and crabs should be cooked the same day they are purchased.
▪ Store cooked whole lobsters or crabs in rigid air-tight containers and use
them within two to three days.
▪ Cooked, picked lobster or crab meat may be stored in a sealed moisture proof
plastic bag or air-tight plastic container for three to four days. Pasteurized crab meat
can be refrigerated for up to six months before opening; use it within three to five
days after opening
GUIDELINES IN THAWING SEAFOODS
It is not always necessary to thaw seafood before cooking, depending on how it
will be prepared. If thawing is not necessary, simply double the cooking time. But if
your recipe calls for coating, rolling, or stuffing, or if the fish is in a block, you will
need to defrost it to facilitate handling. Plan ahead; defrost the fish overnight in the
refrigerator. This is the best way to thaw fish to minimize loss of moisture.
1. Never defrost seafood at room temperature or with hot or warm water.
▪ Bacteria on the surface will begin to multiply and cause spoilage.
▪ If you forget to take your seafood out of the freezer ahead of time, place it in
the sink under cold, running water.
2. Thawing seafood overnight in the refrigerator is the best method.
▪ Suggested thawing time is 24 hours for each pound of frozen seafood.
3. You may also use your microwave oven to partially thaw your fish.
▪ Use the lowest defrost setting, which is usually 30 percent of normal power
levels, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for time based on amount of fish.
▪ Foods defrosted in the microwave oven should be cooked immediately after
thawing.
4. When thawing frozen fish that comes in a vacuum-sealed package, remove it
from the package, cover, or wrap, and thaw it under refrigeration immediately before
use.
▪ . Do not thaw product while it is still inside the vacuum-sealed package.
CHECKING FRESHNESS OF SEAFOODS
A. FISH
- Use your eyes, hands, and nose when selecting fresh fish or shellfish.

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1. With bright, clear eyes that are often protruding
2. Bright red or pink gills
3. Firm yet elastic flesh, and shiny skin.
4. Your purchase should feel cold, not cool, to the touch.
5. It shouldn’t smell “fishy.” The odor should be that of a fresh sea breeze.
6. Flesh should be firm yet elastic, springing back when pressed gently with the
finger.
7. Skin should be shiny with scales that
adhere tightly
B. SHELLFISH
1. The shells of live clams, oysters, or mussels should look moist and be tightly
closed.
2. Do not purchase live shellfish with cracked shells.
3. The bottom shell of an oyster should be well cupped — a sign that the oyster
inside is plump and well formed.
4. The “neck” or “snout” of soft-shelled clams should show movement.
5. The meats of fresh-shucked clams, oysters, or mussels should be plump and
covered with their liquor.
6. Their liquor should be clear or slightly opalescent (slightly milky or light gray)
and free of shell or grit
7. There should be no strong odor.
8. Live crabs and lobsters should show leg movement, and the tail of lobsters
should curl tightly underneath the body and not hang down when the lobster is
picked up.
9. Cooked lobsters or crabs in the shell should be bright red and have no
disagreeable odor.
10. Picked lobster meat will be snowy white with red tints, while crab meat
is white with red or brown tints, depending on the species or the section of the body
it was picked from.
11. Cooked, picked lobster or crab meat should have good color and no
disagreeable odor.
12. Raw shrimp meat should be firm and have a mild odor. The shells of
most varieties are translucent with a grayish green, pinkish tan, or light pink tint.
13. The shells should not have blackened edges or black spots — this is a
sign of quality loss.
14. Cooked shrimp meat should be firm and have no disagreeable odor.

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15. The color of the meat should be white with red or pink tints.
16. When buying whole squid, look for eyes that are clear and full.
17. The skin should be untorn and the meat very firm.
18. The skin of fresh squid is cream colored with reddish brown spots. As
squid ages, the skin turns pinkish and the flesh will yellow.
III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
Activity 1:
Direction: Put a check (√ ) on the correct ways of handling and storing seafood
and cross (X) for the wrong ones.
_____1. Keep the seafood’s cold from the store to your home, in your refrigerator
or freezer.
_____2. Put live shellfish in water or in an air-tight container.
_____3. Live lobsters and crabs should be cooked the same day they are
purchased.
_____4. Fish that is not prepackaged should be washed under cold, running
water and patted dry with an absorbent paper towel
_____5. Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling fish.
_____6. Seal fillets or steaks in plastic bags or containers; then cover them with
ice in trays or pans
_____7. Place raw seafood near cooked foods and raw vegetables.
_____8. Use fish within two days after purchase.
_____9. Seafood should be purchased first.
____10. Lift a whole fish with both hands and avoid holding it by the tail.

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Activity 2: Performance Task:
INDIVIDUAL WORKSHEET
Title of Activity: Interview on How to Choose Fresh Fish and Shellfish
Objectives: At the end of the task, the students will be able to:
1. Interview seafood vendors about some tips in choosing fresh fish and
shellfish.
2. Compare answers of the two interviewees/vendors.
3. Learn additional knowledge in performing the task.
Direction:
● Visit a wet market in your place. Look for 2 seafood vendors and learn
from them about the tips on how to choose a fresh fish and shellfish (Observe
health protocols). If you are 18 years old and below, you may ask your parents or
siblings to help you perform the task
● Write the data gathered by accomplishing this form.
Name of Vendor 1: __________________ Date of Interview: __________
Name of Vendor 2: __________________ Place of Interview: _________
VENDOR 1 VENDOR 2
Tips on how to choose fresh Fish Tips on how to choose Fish
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
VENDOR 1 VENDOR 2
Tips on how to choose fresh
Shellfish
Tips on how to choose fresh
Shellfish
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Between the two vendors, who has given you more tips on how to choose
fresh seafood? Why?
Name of Interviewer/student: ___________________________
Grade and Section: ___________________________
Note: To avoid exposure, you may prepare a questionnaire and give it to the
respective interviewees.
IV. RUBRIC FOR SCORING:
For Activity 2:
SCORING RUBRIC
SCORE CRITERIA
5 The interview was not only includes all items
requested but they are completed above expectations.

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4 The interview includes all items requested.
3 The interview includes over half of the items
requested.
2 The interview includes less than half of the items
requested.
V. ANSWER KEY
Activity 1:
1. √ 2. X 3. √ 4. √ 5. √
6. √ 7. X 8. √ 9. X 10. √
Activity 2: Refer to the scoring rubrics
VI. REFLECTION:
1. What would happen if the fish about to be processed is off quality?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. What outcomes could happen to improperly frozen deboned fish?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Why is knowing how to process fish properly important in food
processing?
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
VI. REFERENCES:
Education, Department of. 2016. Home Economics Cookery Manual. Pasig City:
Department of Education. pp 157-161.
Education, Department of. 2016. "K to 12 Home Economics - Cookery
Curriculum Guide." TLE-TVL Cookey NC II- Curriculum Guide . Pasig City :
Department of Education , May.
Hicks, D. A consumer Guide to Safe Seafood Handling. https://
seafood.oregonstate.edu /sites/agscid7/files/snic/a-consumer-guide-to-safe-
seafood-handling.pdf/
Cookery 10 Learning Module, Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines
Cookery 10 Teachers Guide, Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines

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Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2013, Prepare and cook seafood,
D1.HCC.CL2.19, Trainee Manual
Technical Vocational Livelihood Education – Cookery Module 2 Manual, First
Edition, 2016
REGIONAL MANAGEMENT TEAM
Writer/s GRACE A. BELTRAN
KENNETH A. LIM
CAM SUR Division
Masbate City Division
Division
Validator:
MARILOU N. RAYOS
MARIZZA C. VARGAS
CAM SUR Division
EPS I, Masbate City
Division
Regional
Validator:
IAN CHRISTOPHER J. COS Masbate Province
Editor ALBERTO NOLASCO Cam Sur Division
Reviewers: JANE S. REVILLA
LALAINE V. FABRICANTE
OIC, EPS, Albay Division
EPS-I, Cam Sur Division
ROV
Development
Team:
GRACE U. RABELAS
CHRISTIE L. ALVAREZ
FRANCISCO B. BULALACAO JR.
RONEL AL K. FIRMO
GILBERT T. SADSAD
EPS, LRMDS
EPS, EPP/TLE/TVE/TVL
CLMD CHIEF
Asst. Regional Director
Regional Director