Some Oyster Labels Provide The Raw Facts To Consumers

Are you hooked on labels and oysters? Then you may have a few questions these days.

While nutritional labels have sprouted on nearly every imaginable food product, there are no requirements that a jar of oysters carry such a label.

However, the Minterbrook Oyster Co. of Gig Harbor has added a "nutrition facts" label on its oyster jars, because the company sees it as a plus with consumers.

The label explains that a 4-ounce serving of raw oysters contains 70 calories, 2.5 grams of fat (.5 gram of saturated fat), 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of protein, 3 grams of total carbohydrates and 2 grams of sugars. Based on a 2,000-calorie a day diet, a 4-ounce serving of oysters provides 8 percent of the daily values of vitamin C, 30 percent iron and 60 percent zinc. The label also carries the American Heart Association logo, which is likely to grab shoppers' attention, too.

Tim Smith, spokesman for the Pacific Coast Oyster Growers Association, thinks the Minterbrook nutrition label will be a marketing advantage and probably will be copied by others in Washington's $70 million a year industry.

The label includes some other interesting information that will help cooks who may wonder how many oysters there are in a 4-ounce serving. If you're talking "medium" oysters, four ounces equals about three oysters; in the "small" category it's about four, and in "extra small," about six. Large oysters generally aren't sold here, but are exported to Asian markets, where they are in greater demand because it's not traditional to eat raw oysters.

According to federal Food and Drug Administration requirements, here's how the count should break down for a 10-ounce jar, the size most commonly sold in markets:

Large, 4 oysters or less.

Medium, 5-8 oysters.

Small, 9-11 oysters.

Extra small, 13-15.

Shellfish labels also are required to note the location from which the product was taken.

Minterbrook does it alphabetically, with "A" designating one area, and so on. Taylor United Inc. of Shelton specifies the actual name of the bay. Either is acceptable.

Several years ago that information enabled health authorities to trace and recall shellfish sent to 10 states after testing here indicated a high level of biotoxins in certain waters, said Maryanne Guichard, director of the shellfish program for the state Department of Health. No comparable system exists for meat.

To me, the curious thing about oyster labeling is the dating system.

It's a "sell by" date, rather than a consumer friendly "use by."

Oysters are harvested 14-21 days before the "sell by" date, depending on individual growers.

So what date should you use them by? You'll get a different answer from nearly everyone.

The date coding isn't a public health issue because decomposition organisms don't necessarily make you sick, says Bill Cleland of the state Department of Health.

Cleland encourages consumers to ask markets or call oyster companies and ask when oysters were harvested and compare that to the "sell by" dates.

Personally, I always choose the jar with the latest "sell by" date.

More important, how do you know when a jar of oysters is fresh?

Here's a description from Cleland:

"A fresh oyster should smell like the ocean, no fishy smell, not much of a smell at all. Like taking a deep breath of air at the beach."

If you're an oyster fan and do any harvesting of your own, tuck the "red tide" phone number, (800) 562-5632, into your jeans before you head for the beach.

And if you'd like to volunteer to help monitor the 300 sites checked for biotoxins by the state Department of Health, call (206) 753-5992.

Shelby Gilje's Troubleshooter column appears Wednesday and Sunday in the Scene section of The Times. Do you have a consumer problem? Write to Times Troubleshooter, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Include copies, not originals, of appropriate documents. Phone, 464-2262, FAX 382-8873.