CDPH Warns Not to Eat the Internal Organs of Sport-Harvested Dungeness Crab from One area of the Northern California Coast​

December 13, 2024
SN24-021

What you Need to Know: CDPH is advising the public to not consume the internal organs (viscera) of sport-harvested Dungeness crab caught from a specific area of the Northern California Coast. This advisory replaces the “Do Not Consume Whole Crab” warning issued November 1, 2024.

Sacramento — The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers to not eat the internal organs (viscera) of Dungeness crab caught along one coastal area of Northern California. 

This warning is i​n effect for state waters located at: 

This CDPH Shellfish Notification replaces the Whole Dungeness Crab Advisory​, issued​ November 1, 2024, that warned the public to not consume any sport-harvested whole Dungeness crab from the area identified above. Dangerous levels of domoic acid, also referred to as Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, have only been detected in the internal organs (viscera) of Dungeness crab caught from this area. Domoic Acid is a naturally occurring biotoxin. Cooking the crab does not decrease or destroy the toxin. 

Consumers are advised to always discard the viscera and cooking liquids and adhere to the following best preparation practices to avoid any inadvertent exposure to domoic acid that may be sporadically found in the crab’s viscera. It is always best to remove the viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking (i.e., before boiling, steaming, or frying). If whole crab are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the cooking liquid. The cooking water or broth should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broth, soups, or stews (for example, cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings, or dips.

Symptoms o​​f 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, coma, or death. 

CDPH continues to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the fishing community to collect and test crab samples from the impacted areas until domoic acid levels have dissipated. Please contact CDFW for information about the recreational Dungeness crab season. 

Test results are updated as laboratory results become available and can be viewed on the CDPH Domoic Acid webpage. Please visit CDPH’s Domoic Acid FAQ for more information. To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free “Shellfish Information Line” at (800) 553-4133. ​