Process of elimination of bacteria in shellfish and of shucking shellfish

A method of eliminating pathogenic organisms in raw molluscan shellfish and crustaceans, comprising:

• placing said raw molluscan shellfish and crustaceans in a pressure vessel and exposing said raw molluscan shellfish and crustaceans to hydrostatic pressure at elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to cause destruction of the pathogenic organisms without substantially affecting sensory characteristics of said raw molluscan shellfish and crustaceans, and wherein said raw molluscan shellfish and crustaceans are exposed to hydrostatic pressure of between about 10,000 p.s.i. to about 60,000 p.s.i. for 1-15 minutes and temperature of between 50 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit and after the raw molluscan shellfish and crustaceans have been exposed to high hydrostatic pressure for a pre-determined period of time, pressure is released in said pressure vessel at a rate of about 1,000 p.s.i. per 2 seconds.

A process of treating raw molluscan shellfish which comprises:

• placing said raw molluscan shellfish in a pressure vessel and exposing said raw molluscan shellfish to a hydrostatic pressure of between 10,000 p.s.i. to 60,000 p.s.i. for 1-15 minutes at elevated temperature of between 50 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby destroying pathogenic organisms in said raw molluscan shellfish and after the raw molluscan shellfish has been exposed to high hydrostatic pressure for a pre-determined period of time, pressure is released in said pressure vessel at a rate of about 30,000 p.s.i. per 10 seconds.

A process of treating raw molluscan shellfish, which comprises:

• exposing said raw molluscan shellfish to a hydrostatic pressure of between 10,000 p.s.i. to 60,000 p.s.i. for 1-15 minutes at elevated temperature of between 50 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby destroying pathogenic organisms in said raw molluscan shellfish, wherein said raw molluscan shellfish is placed in a pressure vessel prior to exposing said raw molluscan shellfish to hydrostatic pressure;
• and wherein after the raw molluscan shellfish has been exposed to hydrostatic pressure for a pre-determined period of time, pressure is released in said pressure vessel at a rate of about 13000 p.s.i. per 2 seconds, so as to prevent escape of liquid from a shell of said raw molluscan shellfish.

A method of shucking a raw bivalve mollusk, comprising the steps of:

• placing said raw bivalve mollusk in a pressure vessel and exposing said raw bivalve mollusk to hydrostatic pressure and elevated temperature for a time period sufficient to cause detachment of an adductor muscle from a shell of said raw bivalve mollusk and opening of the molluscan shell without substantially affecting sensory characteristics of said raw bivalve mollusk, and wherein said raw bivalve mollusk is exposed to hydrostatic pressure of at least 10,000 p.s.i. for a period of 1-15 minutes at a temperature of between 50 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit and after said raw bivalve mollusk has been exposed to high hydrostatic pressure for a pre-determined period of time, pressure is released in said pressure vessel at a rate of about 1,000 p.s.i. per 2 seconds.

A method of shucking a raw bivalve mollusk, comprising the steps of:

• placing said raw bivalve mollusk in a pressure vessel and exposing said raw bivalve mollusk to hydrostatic pressure and elevated temperature for a time period sufficient to cause detachment of an adductor muscle from a shell of said raw bivalve mollusk and opening of the molluscan shell without substantially affecting sensory characteristics of said raw bivalve mollusk, wherein said raw bivalve mollusk is exposed to hydrostatic pressure at least 10,000 p.s.i. for a period of 1-15 minutes at a temperature of between 50 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit and after said raw bivalve mollusk has been exposed to hydrostatic pressure for the pre-determined period of time, pressure is released in said pressure vessel at a rate of about 30,000 p.s.i. per 10 seconds.