Dead Shellfish and Cross-Contamination

Discard any oyster or clam that is gaping open and does not close when tapped firmly, feels unusually light for its size, or smells foul (not just a normal ocean/briny smell) — these are real signs the animal died before you got to it, and shellfish that die before cooking can spoil quickly and unpredictably.

A blue crab that died before cooking should generally not be eaten — crab meat spoils rapidly once the animal dies, well before cooking would otherwise make it safe.

Keep raw crab/shellfish, their shells, and anything that touched them (hands, cutting boards, coolers) away from other food until washed — the same ordinary cross-contamination discipline that applies to any raw seafood or meat.