Why Appearance, Smell, and Behavior Can't Prove Safety

Bacterial contamination, viral contamination, and marine biotoxins are all typically undetectable by look, smell, or taste at the water or in the meat — a shellfish from a contaminated area usually looks completely normal.

The reverse safety check does matter, though it's a different, narrower question: a live oyster or clam that won't close when tapped, a crab that's dead and not freshly so, or anything with a foul (not just 'strong ocean') smell should never be kept regardless of where it came from — that's a freshness/spoilage check, not a substitute for confirming the harvest area's actual health status.

When genuinely uncertain about either question — area status or individual-animal freshness — do not harvest or consume. This is the one rule every section of this guide restates rather than assumes is obvious.