National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) Centennial

The National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) is a partnership between certain states and federal agencies to prevent contaminated shellfish from entering the market. This program helps to ensure that bivalve molluscan shellfish (including oysters, clams, mussels, cockles, and scallops, other than adductor only) sold in the United States are safely produced and sold to consumers. The NSSP was established after a widespread deadly typhoid fever outbreak was traced to contaminated oysters in 1924.

This federal and state cooperative program is recognized between the FDA and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). It promotes public health protection and improves the sanitation of shellfish moving through interstate commerce.

In addition to the FDA, participants in the NSSP include:

• Agencies from 38 states and the District of Columbia
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Canada, Spain, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, and New Zealand

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