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lonebadger6 said:Jacob Jones65, you aren't entirely wrong.
In restaurants, these things shouldn't happen, but usually, we're just talking about some nasty, temporary food poisoning.
That said, shellfish can be legitimately lethal, especially open mussels or oysters, so you have to be careful.
Maybe we didn't quite get on the same page, but that’s exactly my point. Just stay cautious and you'll be fine.
It’s highly unlikely they’ll actually die, though it’s definitely uncomfortable. It'll pass. A few days on a stomach bug and you'll be fine. Just a little advice... I’d stick to other types of shellfish instead. Mussels and clams are risky. They can survive in pretty nasty environments—think sewage runoff, harbors, or old shipwrecks—and you never really know if what a restaurant serves comes from a controlled farm or just pulled straight from the wild. Other shellfish simply can't survive in such polluted water, so the risk of poisoning is lower. You can also get sick if the shellfish have been sitting out too long at a restaurant. If you go the frozen route, that’s probably your safest bet since those are farmed and flash-frozen immediately after harvest. One thing: if you see a shell where the meat looks gray or off-color, just toss it. Also, maybe avoid eating shellfish (just like mushrooms) late at night; they're heavy on the digestion. All in all, shellfish are a great delicacy and an aphrodisiac, and food poisoning isn't exactly a daily occurrence. It happens just as often as it does with anything else, like cake or ice cream. Enjoy your meal.