Overview
The Department's Division of Food Safety and Inspection is responsible for the regulatory oversight of wholesale and retail facilities who hold, distribute, or process harvested seafood for human consumption. Seafood includes finfish, all cooked molluscan shellfish, raw molluscan shellfish (other than clams, mussels, oysters, roe-on scallops), crustacean shellfish, and aquatic animals (frog, alligator, turtle, etc).
Activities involved in the processing of seafood may include but be not limited to: eviscerating, filleting, cutting, chopping, grinding, drying, dehydrating, freezing for parasite destruction, cold/hot smoking, curing, salting, cooking, pasteurizing, packaging, vacuum packing, labeling, storage, etc.
On this page, you will find guidance, policy and regulations developed to ensure consistent and safe processing of seafood and seafood products and wholesale and retail.
The New York State Seafood Interagency Workgroup
In her 2024 State of the State speech, Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2024 launched New York’s Blue Food Transformation initiative to bolster marine agriculture, promote a healthy natural environment, and provide New Yorkers with a nutritious source of locally grown seafood.
As part of that, the Governor coordinated the New York State Seafood Interagency Workgroup, comprised of staff from AGM, the Department of Environmental Conservation, Empire State Development, Department of Health, New York Sea Grant, and other agencies involved in the production and marketing of seafood formed the New York State Seafood Interagency Workgroup. The group was tasked with evaluating and coordinating state policies and programs that impact aquaculture licensing, food safety, and economic development measures, and considering pathways for industry growth. The Workgroup’s final report is available online at the AGM website.