Domoic Acid

Domoic acid is a naturally occurring neurotoxin produced by Pseudo-nitzschia algae. The conditions that support the growth of Pseudo-nitzschia are difficult to predict. Domoic acid can temporarily build up in crab, lobsters, clams and other fish and shellfish, making them hazardous to eat for people, marine mammals, and birds. Consumption of these adulterated products pose a significant risk to public health, as elevated levels of domoic acid can be fatal to people when consumed in high doses. Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the victim may experience trouble breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory (a condition known as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning), coma or death.

Crab Evisceration Progam​

​Senate Bill 80 (SB 80)​ was approved by the Governor on October 09, 2021, providing the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) authority to permit the evisceration of Dungeness or rock crab when domoic acid in their viscera (internal organs) is at or above action level (≥30ppm), but their meat is below action level (<20ppm). Evisceration is the action of removing and discarding the entire intestinal tract, hepatopancreas, and all associated abdominal organs from the crab. When crab with contaminated viscera are harvested from an area under an Evisceration Order, they must be sold or provided to a crab evisceration processor approved by CDPH. CDPH only licenses facilities located in California. Crab Evisceration allows for the harvest and processing of crab for the safe consumption of its acceptable crab meat.

To become an approved processor, a company must have a Processed Food Registration​,  Crab Evisceration Registration (DocuSign)​​, a CDPH approved Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, written recall procedures and a product coding system to allow product traceability.

For questions commonly asked questions regarding evisceration, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page. ​