At Penn Cove Shellfish safety is always a priority. We deeply respect the Federal Shellfish Tagging Program and take it very seriously. Read below to learn more about our tags and what they mean.

Whether around the block or across the nation, consumers are safe when purchasing shellfish from local markets and restaurants because of the Federal Shellfish Tagging Program.

The Federal Shellfish Tagging Program is used to prevent shellfish from being illegally harvested from unsafe areas and then being sold to the public. Certified shellfish growing waters are regularly monitored by State Health Agencies for health hazards such as marine biotoxins, like red tide, and other marine pathogens, and it’s up to the markets and restaurants to ensure that all the shellfish they buy is tagged appropriately.

Furthermore, markets and restaurants must keep the tags from all shellfish bags sold for at least 90 days, thus providing a means of tracking the sources of their shellfish sales and assuring customers of the freshness of their shellfish products.