A dead mussel can be neither sold nor eaten; it is a food-safety risk and a commercial loss. The Turkish Regulation on Specific Hygiene Rules for Food of Animal Origin (Article 42) requires live bivalve molluscs to be kept in storage and transport at a temperature that does not harm food safety or viability, and not to be re-immersed or sprayed with water after leaving the dispatch centre.
| Mistake | Why | Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Direct ice | Meltwater runs over the product; the regulation likewise does not want packed shellfish wetted | Cold is delivered without contact: eutectic plate behind a divider |
| Wrong temperature band | Freezing and warming both end viability | Plate melting point chosen for species, route and duration |
The journey starts at harvest time; the route plan is built from the harvest hour, and the wait between purification and dispatch happens in a controlled space. On receipt the buyer looks at shells free of dirt, adequate resistance to impact, and a normal amount of intervalvular liquid (Article 39). The label shows the species, the packing date and the statement that the animals must be alive when sold.