A Date with an Oyster?

Gulf oysters(true oysters) are highly prized as food, both raw and cooked, but some other groups which are also called oysters (such as for example the pearl oysters) are not widely eaten, at least not in recent times. Whether enjoyed raw on the half shell or in a creamy bowl or stew, no food so perfectly captures the sweet, salty taste of the sea as an oyster. In spite of the long list of names you may be presented with at an oyster bar, there are just four species of oysters - Atlantic or Eastern oysters, European flat oysters, Pacific or Japanese oysters, and tiny Olympias. What makes one oyster different from another depends on where it is grown. Eating Oysters can be absolutely beyond a doubt delicious, but serious illness and death can result when at-risk individuals consume raw oysters. You can find out more information on beoysteraware.com. Oysters are sedentary bivalve mollusks that feed by filtering plankton (small plants and animals) from estuarine water. Because Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in the same waters that oysters feed, the bacteria is ingested and becomes assimilated and concentrated in the animal’s tissues. When people ingest oysters, there is a risk of also ingesting Vibrio vulnificus. The infection dose for Vibrio vulnificus is not accurately known. Healthy individuals can safely consume raw oysters without serious risk of Vibrio vulnificus illness.