The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Friday against eating the internal organs of Dungeness crab harvested off the coast of California, Oregon and Washington because they may contain a harmful toxin.
Though the crab meat itself is safe to eat, the viscera, or internal organs, may contain domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin produced by marine plankton, said FDA Commissioner David Kess-ler.Most consumers eat only the crab meat, but some ethnic recipes call for use of the viscera of Dungeness crab, the FDA said.
Crab fisheries on the West Coast were closed for several weeks this month because of concern about the toxin, and the states have issued consumer warnings about consumption of Dungeness crab viscera.
But the crab meat has not been found to be tainted by unsafe levels of demoic acid and the fisheries in at least two states reopened this week.