tomalley

Tomalley (alternative spelling: "tomale"^[1]) or lobster paste is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of lobsters, that fulfils the functions of both the liver and the pancreas. Tomalley corresponds to the hepatopancreas in other arthropods. It is considered a delicacy, and may be eaten alone but is often added to sauces for flavour and as a thickening agent. The term lobster paste or lobster pâté can also be used to indicate a mixture of tomalley and lobster roe. Lobster bisque, lobster stock, and lobster consommé are made using lobster bodies (heads), often including the lobster liver.

The hepatopancreas of a crab is also called tomalley; in crabs the tomalley is yellow or yellow-green in colour.^[2][3][4] In Maryland and on the Delmarva peninsula, the hepatopancreas of the Blue Crab is called the "muster" or "mustard", probably because of the yellow color, which is not the bright yellow of regular prepared turmeric (tumeric) mustard, but closer to one of the brown mustards, such as Dijon. Particularly when eating steamed or boiled crabs, it is considered a delicacy.

There are no known safety considerations when it comes to eating lobster meat. The tomalley in general can be consumed (as with the livers of other animals). It can, however, contain high levels of PCBs which can give a number of negative health effects in large concentrations. It may also contain toxins that are associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (saxitoxin and gonyautoxin). Those toxins do not leach out when the lobster is cooked in boiling water. The toxins responsible for most shellfish poisonings are water-soluble, heat and acid-stable, and thus are not diminished by cooking.

A report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources in July 2008 indicated the presence of high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin in some tomalley from lobsters in that state. Around the same time, The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reminded consumers not to eat lobster tomalley, because this part of the lobster 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.^[5][6] The FDA stated that lobster tomalley “normally does not contain dangerous levels of PSP toxins” and that the current high toxin levels “likely are associated with an ongoing red tide episode in northern New England and eastern Canada”.

References

External links

• Paralytic Shellfish Poison at eMedicine
• Atlantic Veterinary College Lobster Science Centre
• Lawrence JF, Maher M, Watson-Wright W (Jan 1994). "Effect of cooking on the concentration of toxins associated with paralytic shellfish poison in lobster hepatopancreas". Toxicon 32 (1): 57–64. PMID 9237337. 
• Jiang TJ, Niu T, Xu YX (Dec 2006). "Transfer and metabolism of paralytic shellfish poisoning from scallop (Chlamys nobilis) to spiny lobster (Panulirus stimpsoni)". Toxicon 48 (8): 988–94. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.08.002. PMID 17011007. 
• Advisory Chart, Consumption of Maine Saltwater Fish and Lobster Tomalley for Pregnant Women and Children
• FDA Advises Against Consumption of American Lobster (Maine Lobster) Tomalley