topped with crab tomalley (
kanimiso) The tomalley in general can be consumed in moderation as with the livers of other animals. It can, however, contain high levels of
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), dioxins, PFOA and
mercury which can give rise to a number of negative health effects. It may also contain toxins that are associated with
paralytic shellfish poisoning (
saxitoxin and
gonyautoxin). These toxins do not leach out when the lobster is cooked in boiling water. The toxins responsible for most shellfish poisonings are heat- and acid-stable, and thus are not diminished by cooking. In July 2008, a report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources indicated the presence of high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin in some tomalley from lobsters in that state. Also in July 2008,
Massachusetts Department of Public Health reminded consumers not to eat
American lobster tomalley, because it can build up high levels of toxins and other pollutants. The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration then issued an advisory against consuming tomalley from American lobster found anywhere in the Atlantic Ocean. In the same advisory the FDA stated that lobster tomalley "normally does not contain dangerous levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins" and that the current high toxin levels were probably "associated with an ongoing
red tide episode in northern New England and eastern Canada". In April 2023, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection released a report on their monitoring of surface water for ambient toxins, which included sampling marine fish and shellfish on
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds from 18 sites across the coast of Maine in 2021. Half of the sites had no detected
perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in lobster meat. The other half from mostly the southwestern half of the coast had very low concentrations of PFOS that "should not pose risk in human consumption of lobster meat". Nine other PFAS compounds were detected in various samples at very low concentrations. As of May 2023, neither Maine, nor the EPA have yet established regulatory levels for PFAS in seafood. Maine has only established Fish Tissue Action Levels for PFOS for recreationally caught freshwater and estuarine finfish at 3,500 ppt while the EPA has set an interim health advisory for PFOS in drinking water at .02 ppt. ==See also==