Editing Oyster (section)

====Depuration====
[[File:Oysters in depuration tank (8535757902).jpg|thumb|left|Oysters in a [[depuration]] tank]]
[[Depuration]] of oysters is a common industry practice and widely researched in the scientific community but is not commonly known by end consumers. The main objective of seafood depuration is to remove fecal contamination in seafood before being sold to end consumers. Oyster depuration is useful since they are generally eaten raw and in many countries, the requirement to process is government-regulated or mandatory. The [[United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO) formally recognizes depuration and has published detailed documents on the process,<ref>{{cite report |title=Bivalve Depuration: fundamental and practical aspects. |work=[[United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] |id=Fisheries Technical paper No. 511 |location=Rome |year=2008 |url=https://www.fao.org/3/i0201e/i0201e.pdf |isbn=978-92-5-106006-3 }}</ref> whereas the [[Codex Alimentarius]], encourages the application of seafood depuration.<ref>(Code of Practice for fish and fishery products (first edition) Rome 2009. WHO and FAO {{ISBN|978-92-5-105914-2}})</ref>

Oyster depuration begins after the harvest of oysters from farmed locations. The oysters are transported and placed into tanks pumped with clean water for periods of 48 to 72 hours. The holding temperatures and salinity vary according to species. The seawater that the oysters were originally farmed in does not remain in the oyster, since the water used for depuration must be fully sterilized, and the depuration facility would not necessarily be located near the farming location.<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956713513000406 | doi=10.1016/j.foodcont.2013.01.025 | title=Impact of water salinity and types of oysters on depuration for reducing Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) | year=2013 | last1=Phuvasate | first1=Sureerat | last2=Su | first2=Yi-Cheng | journal=Food Control | volume=32 | issue=2 | pages=569–573 }}</ref> Depuration of oysters can remove moderate levels of contamination of most bacterial indicators and pathogens. Well-known contaminants include ''[[Vibrio parahaemolyticus]]'', a temperature-sensitive bacterium found in seawater animals, and ''[[Escherichia coli]]'', a bacterium found in coastal waters near highly populated cities having sewage systems discharging waste nearby, or in the presence of agricultural discharges.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Depuration expands beyond oysters into many shellfish and other related products, especially in seafood that is known to come from potentially polluted areas; depurated seafood is effectively a product cleansed from inside-out to make it safe for human consumption.