What Health Checks Must All Seafood Restaurants Pass?

Are you considering opening a restaurant and want to know what health checks seafood restaurants must pass in order to operate?  Understanding the regulations involved in owning and operating a seafood restaurant is also good information to have when you eat in these restaurants, so that you know what to look for in terms of cleanliness and other factors.

You might think that seafood restaurants have regulated health checks by the FDA; however, there are no federal guidelines for this.  Some states do have guidelines and restaurants must, of course, pass the normal restaurant health checks. 

However, seafood has special handling concerns whether it’s being served raw or cooked.  Some of the most basic health checks in seafood restaurants are freezer temperature, which must be 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, and proper thawing procedures to prevent food borne illness.  Thawing should never occur simply by leaving the fish out on a counter top.  It should either be thawed in cold water or in the refrigerator.

Cross contamination factors are another area of concern when health checks are being conducted.  The kitchen area should have separate cutting boards and prep areas for seafood.  Keeping seafood separate from other meats and from vegetables keeps germs from spreading from one food source to another and is a health requirement.

Exact health checks for seafood restaurants can be found by contacting your state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, who is in charge of issuing restaurant permits and grades.  They can tell you if your favorite seafood restaurants in your state have specific health checks or if the normal restaurant health checks are all that you need to know.