What is the “green stuff” you find in the head (“carapace”) of cooked lobsters? And can you eat it?
This is the lobster tomalley, which serves as the lobster’s liver and pancreas. Many people, especially in New England, consider it a delicacy, and eat it along with the rest of the lobster. It is also often used in sauces and stocks which are made from the whole lobster’s body.
But while some people find the tomalley delicious, there are health concerns which should be carefully considered. Since the tomally acts like a liver and pancreas, it is a filter which can accumulate pollutants from the environment.
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently warned consumers to avoid eating tomalley from the American Lobster because of potential contamination with dangerous levels of the toxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).
The FDA advisory applies only to the tomalley; the FDA report cited studies that have shown that, even when high levels of PSP toxins are present in lobster tomalley, lobster meat itself is typically unaffected, and that there is no indication that consumers need to be concerned about PSP toxicity in lobster meat.
The FDA recommendation includes lobsters from South Carolina all the way to Northern Canadian coast line. Again, it only refers to the tomalley (the “green stuff”) and not the lobster meat itself.
While there is no known safety considerations when it comes to eating lobster meat, consumers are advised to refrain from eating the tomalley. The tomalley is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of the lobster.
What is the “green stuff” you find in the head (“carapace”) of cooked lobsters? And can you eat it?
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently warned consumers to avoid eating tomalley from the American Lobster because of potential contamination with dangerous levels of the toxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP).
But while some people find the tomalley delicious, there are health concerns which should be carefully considered. Since the tomally acts like a liver and pancreas, it is a filter which can accumulate pollutants from the environment.
This is the lobster tomalley, which serves as the lobster’s liver and pancreas. Many people, especially in New England, consider it a delicacy, and eat it along with the rest of the lobster. It is also often used in sauces and stocks which are made from the whole lobster’s body.
The FDA advisory applies only to the tomalley; the FDA report cited studies that have shown that, even when high levels of PSP toxins are present in lobster tomalley, lobster meat itself is typically unaffected, and that there is no indication that consumers need to be concerned about PSP toxicity in lobster meat.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday warned consumers to avoid eating tomalley in American lobster due to potentially dangerous levels of the toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP).
U.S. and Canadian health officials frequently monitor inshore waters and shellfish beds for PSP toxins and issue closures when they reach a certain level. All crustaceans and mollusks sold in the marketplace are safe to eat, they stress.
The FDA advisory comes about two weeks after Maine health officials warned consumers to avoid ingesting tomalley, a soft, green substance found in the body cavity of the lobster. It functions as the liver and pancreas.
The FDA attributed the current high levels of PSP toxins to the red tide outbreak in northern New England and eastern Canada. In addition to Maine, health officials in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Canada have issued tomalley advisories.
The FDA emphasized that the advisory applies only to tomalley and that, even when high levels of PSP toxins are present in tomalley, which is uncommon, the lobster meat itself is usually unaffected. Cooking does not eliminate PSP toxins, added the agency.
Eating Tomalley: We tried the green gooey stuff in lobster so you don’t have to
FAQ
What to do with lobster tomalley?
What are the toxins in tomalley?
What is the green gunk in lobster?
How do you know if lobster has gone bad?
Can you eat tomalley on a lobster?
The FDA advisory comes about two weeks after Maine health officials warned consumers to avoid ingesting tomalley, a soft, green substance found in the body cavity of the lobster. It functions as the liver and pancreas.
Is lobster tomalley poisonous?
At the present time—no. According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, American lobster tomalley is harmful to ingest because it can “accumulate contaminants found in the environment.” These include mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and dioxins that settle into the ocean from the air and via rivers.
What is a tomalley in a lobster?
The tomalley is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of the lobster. It functions as the liver and pancreas, and test results have shown the tomalley can accumulate contaminants found in the environment. For more information, call (866)-292-3474, or read the Freshwater Fish Safe Eating Guidelines.
Is lobster tomalley edible?
We’ll skip to the information you’re probably looking for: Yes, lobster tomalley is edible, but the USFDA questions its safety. In general, consumers are advised to discard tomalley because it can accumulate contaminants from the lobster’s environment, like PCBs and Dioxins. The risk of harmful contaminants rises with phenomena like red tide.