TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page              –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgement           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Content    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v-vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1-3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Shell fish in various cuisines –         –         –         –         –         4-7

2.1     Allergy and Toxic content of shell fish          –         –         –         7

2.2     Availability, Handling and consumption of shell fish        –         8

2.2.1 Global Production – –         –         –         –         –         –         8-9

2.2.2 General handling and processing of shell fish –         –         9-11

2.2.3 Global production –         –         –         –         –         –         –         8-9

2.2.4 Consumption pattern of shell fish –         –         –         –         11-12

2.3 Factors influencing proximate composition of shell fish –         12

2.3.1 Habitats, season, feed, species and life cycle – –         –         12-13

2.3.2 Influence of processing –         –         –         –         –         –         13-15

2.4 Nutritive value and health benefits of shell fish –         –         15

2.4.1 Proteins –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16

2.4.2 Lipid –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16-18

2.4.3 Carotenoids – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         18-19

2.4.4 Vitamins and minerals –         –         –         –         –         –         19-21

CHAPTRE THREE

3.0 Health implication of consuming shell fish –         –         –         22-23

3.1     Environmental Hazards   –         –         –         –         –         –         24

3.2     Pathogenic micro-organisms     –         –         –         –         –         24-25

3.3     Parasites       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25-26

3.4     Bio toxins    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26-28

3.5     Heavy metals         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         28-29

3.6     Chemical pollutants         –         –         –         –         –         –         29-30

3.7     Hazards due to intrinsic factors  –         –         –         –         –         30-34

3.8     Measures to control consumer hazards           –         –         –         35-36

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Summary and conclusion

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         37-38

4.2     Conclusion  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         38-39

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Shell fish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton bearing aquatic invertebrates such as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shell fish are harvested from salt water environments, some are found in fresh water. In addition, a few species of land crabs are eaten, for example cardisoma guanhumi in the Caribbean. Shell fish are among the most common food allergens (Cleveland clinic, 2009).

Despite the name, shell fish are not fish. Most shell fish are low on the food chain and eat a diet composed primarily of phytoplankton and zooplankton (food and agriculture, 2009). Many varieties of shell fish, and crustaceans in particular, are actually closely related to insects and arachnids. Crustaceans make up one of the main subphyla of the phylum Arthropoda Molluscs include cephalopods (squids, octopuses, cuttlefish and bivalves (clams, oysters), as well as gastropods (aquatic species such as whelks and winkles; land species such as snails and slugs).

Molluscs used as a food source by humans include many species of clams, mussels, oysters, winkles and scallops. Some crustaceans that are commonly eaten are shrimp, lobsters, Cray fish, and crabs (high beam research, 2009). Echinoderms are not as frequently harvested for food as molluscs and crustaceans; however, sea urchin roe is quite popular in many parts of the world, where the live delicacy is harder to transport (Fabricant, 1998).

Shell fish is a major component of our global aquatic food supply. Shell fish consists broadly of two types of animals, Crustaceans and molluscs. Crustaceans are invertebrates with segmented bodies protected by hard shells made of chitin and include shrimp, lobster, Cray fish, crab and krill. Mollusks are invertebrates with soft bodies, divided into foot and visceral section. They are subdivided into bivalves, cephalopods and gastropods. The commercially important bivalves are mussels, oysters, clams and scallops, while cephalopods include squid, cuttle fish and octopus. The gastropod group contains abalone, sea snail, cockle and whelks, among others. It is estimated that the ocean is inhabited by more than 1000 species of crustaceans, 50000 species of mollusks, besides 13000 species of fin fish (Nybakken, 2001).