BOSTON The Massachusetts Department of Health has announced that it will conduct precautionary tests of shellfish harvested in local waters to determine if they have been infected with Paralytic Shellfish Poison, or PSP, and also known as Red Tide.
The tests will focus on bivalves such as surf clams and ocean quahogs. The detection of PSP could curtail supplies of those shellfishes for restaurants.
The poison does not affect fish, scallops, crab, shrimp or lobster meat.
The need for testing was recommended by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries after scientists predicted an abundance of plankton in the waters that could produce the PSP toxin, which is dangerous to humans if consumed. The fisheries department cautioned the importance of removing any shellfish infected with PSP because the toxin can survive the cooking process.