On all freshly packaged seafood, we put the best by date. We recommend consuming fresh or live seafood within 2 days of receiving it for optimal freshness and quality. This also applies to defrosted frozen seafood.

As soon as your order arrives, remove products from the box. Refrigerate all fresh items and immediately freeze any frozen goods until you are ready to prepare them.

Store live seafood like shellfish and crustaceans in your refrigerator immediately after receiving them.

• Do not put any live shellfish or crustaceans in fresh water. You may clean your live shellfish with fresh water to rinse off any sediment or ocean particles before preparing them.
• Do not store any live seafood in a sealed bag. Sealing the bag will cut off important oxygen flow that your live items need to breathe.
• All shellfish must be properly hydrated. When left in the open air, moisture evaporates from the meats and other tissues. Always try to cover shellfish with a moist paper towel.

If you have received frozen seafood, retrieve it from the freezer and store it in
the refrigerator at least a day before you want to serve it. Allow 12-24 hours for your product to properly defrost.

Another way you can defrost your seafood is by putting your package in a bowl of ice-water and allowing it to defrost this way.

In general, we do not recommend re-freezing seafood due to the impact on quality and texture.  There are also a couple of food and safety and quality considerations to be mindful of as well.  

However, there are certain types of seafood items where you can re-freeze at your own discretion and it will not affect its taste and quality. Some seafood species items freeze better than others: For example, squid and octopus can be refrozen without jeopardizing its taste and texture. However, items like Wild Tuna or leaner cuts of white fish, or clams, should not be refrozen because the natural color of the fillets will oxidize and also the texture could be compromised.

Yes, we use dry ice in our packages, but only when your order consists entirely of frozen items. For orders containing fresh or live seafood, we use gel packs to maintain the optimal cool temperature without over-freezing.

While some seafood can be eaten as "Sashimi," we suggest that all customers cook seafood fully before consuming or serving. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. Our products are intended to be cooked, unless explicitly labeled for consumption as sushi or sashimi.

While some seafood can be eaten un-cooked as “sashimi,” we recommend to our customers that they cook seafood fully before eating it or serving it to others. Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase the risk of food-borne illness, especially for individuals with certain medical conditions. Our products are intended to be cooked, unless otherwise labeled for consumption as sushi or sashimi.

The terms "sushi grade" and "sashimi
grade" are commonly used by seafood retailers to indicate that a particular product is considered suitable and safe for raw consumption. However, it's very important to understand that there is no official, regulated standard or legal definition for "sushi grade" or "sashimi grade" seafood in the United States. These are marketing terms that essentially mean the seller believes the fish has been handled, processed, and often, frozen according to specific guidelines designed to minimize the risk of parasites and bacteria, making it safer to eat raw.

For most wild-caught fish intended for raw consumption (excluding certain large tuna species and some farmed fish), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends specific freezing guidelines to destroy
parasites. This typically involves freezing the fish at very low temperatures (e.g., -4°F / -20°C or colder for a set duration, or -31°F / -35°C or colder for a shorter period). 

Do not consume if:

• The temperature of the product upon arrival is above 45 Degrees F.
• The product has an unusual odor.
• The product shows no signs of life (for live seafood).
• Shellfish items should be disposed of if the shell remains open, does not close when tapped, or has a hollow sound. You can test this by tapping it on a solid surface. (Note: Sometimes, the shell will be open slightly; this does not mean it's not good. Just tap the shell a few times on a hard surface; if it closes, it is still alive and safe for consumption.)

We have a blog post dedicated to this topic that dives into all the details explaining the different external factors that can influence a products availability.

We take allergen separation seriously at our facility. All seafood processing and handling—including shellfish shucking, lobster cooking, and fish cutting—are performed in separate, dedicated rooms to minimize the risk of cross-contamination during the initial stages.

However, when your final seafood order is being packed, all items (shellfish, crustaceans, and fish) are assembled in the same packing room.