# Fish-cleaning tables serve as bacteria breeding ground



## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Officials: Risks are low; use common sense

By Byron Stout
[email protected] 
Published by news-press.com on May 1, 2005

When Florida’s 4 million anglers catch fish for dinner, many often head for the fish-cleaning table at their favorite pier or boat ramp.

That may be a questionable step, according to recent biological testing of fish-cleaning tables by The News-Press.

Four of five public fish-cleaning tables in Lee County were contaminated with high bacteria counts that could cause spoilage and possible sickness, according to health officials.

Whether people get sick from eating fish contaminated on fish-cleaning tables is unknown, said Jennifer Morcone, spokesperson for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

TIPS 
STEP 1
The most effective method of prevention is to prevent fish from coming into contact with the table, period. That can be done by bringing along a clean cutting board — washed in a dishwasher and carried in a clean plastic bag. To save space, simply spreading a clean plastic bag on the fish-cleaning table provides a bacterial barrier, at least for the first fish. But experts note fish slime may quickly contaminate the work space, and it could contain coliform bacteria from the water in which the fish lived or was kept alive.

STEP 2
It is possible to clean a fish without the meat touching the work surface. First, the fillet is sliced away from the backbone via traditional methods, but without slicing through the last bit of skin connecting the flesh to the tail. The fillet then is flopped over, skin-side down on the table. While holding the carcass, a fillet knife then can be used to slice the fillet from the skin, without allowing the flesh to contact the work surface.

STEP 3 
The skinned fillet then should be removed directly to clean ice, which will prevent bacteria from growing in numbers. Finally, fillets can be final-processed — deboned, trimmed and rinsed — in the clean home environment, without undue leftover refuse. Freezing before cooking provides even greater protection from potentially harmful bacteria, but cooking fresh fillets until the meat flakes should be sufficient to kill all bacteria. 

The whole story
http://capmel.com/byron1.htm


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## Reelbehind (Jul 30, 2003)

Wow Koz, long time no see!


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

I have been really busy with the four letter word lately. :--|


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