How long must shellstock tags from a shipment of oysters be kept on file?

• A. 60 days after sale
• B. 90 days after all the oysters are sold
• C. 30 days after shipment
• D. 1 year

Answer: (B)

The main concept here is traceability for shellfish. Shellstock tags identify the harvest area, date, and supplier, and keeping them on file allows you to trace a lot back to its source if a problem arises. The correct practice is to retain those shellstock tags for 90 days after the last shellstock from that shipment has been sold or discarded. This ensures you have complete records throughout the typical recall or trace-back window. The other timeframes don’t align with standard traceability requirements: 60 days is too short to cover potential issues, 30 days after shipment doesn’t reflect when the product has fully left the operation, and keeping records for a full year is unnecessary.