This is the most common food-borne illness found in seafood. Enzymes also cause food spoilage. Enzymes in living seafood help build tissue, contract and relax muscles and digest food. After harvest, enzymes continue to work and start to digest and break down the flesh. This causes the flesh to soften and lowers the quality.
Enzymes also produce more food for bacteria, which also increases the rate of spoilage.
Oxygen in the air attacks the oils in seafood and causes rancidity, bad odors and bad flavors. This occurs commonly in fatty fish like salmon and mackerel. These problems can be avoided easily however, if you know the characteristics of high quality seafood. Purchasing Seafood top of the page Make sure you are buying your seafood from a reputable dealer. Check and see if they have a known record for safe handling practices.