Help with legal question in VA. selling crabs.....

[jonnycage]

Greetings. I am a crab lover of sorts. I had an idea to do a delivery service for tourists in my area where as I would purchase the bushels of crabs, steam and season them, and then drop off to their rental house/condo. I cant find what the rules are regarding re-selling the crabs? Or would I have to sell it under a different premise? Buy a crab lollipop and get a free bushel of crabs? Any direction or advice would be great. Thanks!!!!

[jack1747]

Greetings. I am a crab lover of sorts. I had an idea to do a delivery service for tourists in my area where as I would purchase the bushels of crabs, steam and season them, and then drop off to their rental house/condo. I cant find what the rules are regarding re-selling the crabs? Or would I have to sell it under a different premise? Buy a crab lollipop and get a free bushel of crabs? Any direction or advice would be great. Thanks!!!!

To resell anything you would need a retail license.  Add to that resturant license, health dept. permits, lots of insurance, and probalbly a few more things I can't think of..

BTW Welcome to the BCA.

[captaincrab55]

Start by calling the Health Dept.....   You may change your mind after talking to them...   Good Luck

[genecrabman]

You might want to just sell the lollipops,That will be less Headaches. The Health Dept. is  a little weird about having cooked crabs coming in contact with other things..I know here in North Carolina, if you build a new Crab Picking house, the Cooked Crabs can't even come near Live Crabs...Many new Picking houses have a 2 door steamer just for that purpose..

[horsefly]

First you need to contact NC Shellfish Sanitation Dept, contact NC Dept of Health. First off, I will tell you, unless you buy or rent a place previously used for that purpose.....it will be near hard and costly to make a set up for such purposes. In long run, unless you enjoy red tape and have a endless wallet, it would be wiser to just stick to selling live crabs.....being if you are licensed dealer blah blah. Most states and being our state has fairly strict rules and regs about this. Oh there is another choice as well....you CAN use a catering type trailer vehicle as well....but as the above still must go thru NC Dept Health and Shellfish. I will post a link in a few mins

[horsefly]

Here are the 3 links:
http://www.ncfisheries.net/
http://www.dhhs.state.nc.us/
http://www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/shellfish/index.htm

[Crabpot Man]

Great links and info Horsefly, if he was in NC. 

[jonnycage]

Awesome information. I am actually in NC, barely. Knotts Island, NC. I was thinking of a small scale operation. 10 bushells or so a week. Purchase them, steam them and deliver them. Maybe I could do it from one of the licensed retailers, just offer my services?

[Crabpot Man]

Sorry Horsefly, but he did say in VA? 

[Crabpot Man]

Maybe I could do it from one of the licensed retailers, just offer my services?

You mean like delivering pizza, right?  

[horsefly]

Awesome information. I am actually in NC, barely. Knotts Island, NC. I was thinking of a small scale operation. 10 bushells or so a week. Purchase them, steam them and deliver them. Maybe I could do it from one of the licensed retailers, just offer my services?

Okay, this is done two ways....you can buy pre steamed crabs cold...from a vendor IE; processor/picking house and retail them COLD and must have all the proper permits of retail/shellfish etc. BUT, to purchase steamed crabs and retail them HOT I believe if I remember right, you need the health dept cert....since it's a hot product. Like I said there is a lot of bureaucratic BS redtape in this...a very fine line between right and wrong ways. I think the closet picking house is or was Frog Island, down in Barco...or Quality Sfd in Elizabeth City

[horsefly]

Just a quick preview:
HomeAbout the Section Staff Directory Contact the Section Press Releases DEH Home NCDENR
 
 
Inspection Program
 
The Section's Inspection Program is responsible for the permitting and inspection of shellfish processors statewide. Shellfish are defined as raw bivalve molluscan shellfish only (oysters, clams, mussels, arcs, etc.). Anyone who purchases shellfish from a harvester, shucks shellfish, repacks or re-labels shellfish must be permitted by the Inspection Program. Persons who purchase shellfish in the original containers/bags and sell to other consumers or dealers in another state may also be required to be permitted. The program typically permits between 180-200 interstate and intrastate shellfish processors annually and inspects processors on at least a quarterly basis.

Shellfish processors are certified as either shucker/packers, repackers, shellstock shippers or reshippers. All raw or frozen shellfish products offered for sale must be properly tagged or labeled by a certified dealer. North Carolina certifies both intrastate and interstate dealers. Intrastate dealers may only sell tagged product within North Carolina. Interstate dealers may sell anywhere in the country and are listed on the U.S. FDA Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List, which is published online monthly.

The Inspection Program also certifies crustacea processors. Crustacea are defined as crabs, shrimp, lobster and crayfish although almost all of the permitted facilities in North Carolina are for blue crab processing. Plants that cook, pick, pack, thermally process or repack cooked crustacea are required to be permitted under SSRWQ rules. Although North Carolina once had more than 40 certified crab processing plants, today there are fewer than 20. This is due in large part to competition from foreign processors. All shellfish and crustacea processors must comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point guidelines. Shellfish processors are inspected in compliance with National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements and state inspectors must be standardized by the U.S. FDA.

Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality rules governing storage, handling and sale of raw molluscan shellfish and cooked crustacea apply to all product found in North Carolina . As a result, shellfish inspectors work with the division's Dairy and Food Protection Branch as well as county environmental health departments to assist with retail and restaurant issues regarding shellfish and cooked crustacea products. Inspectors also provide training when requested to county environmental health inspectors and Serve Safe classes for food service industry personnel. The SSRWQ Inspection Program also works in cooperation with N.C. Sea Grant and the N.C. Environmental Health State of Practice Committee to provide a Seafood Safety Workshop, held annually in Pine Knoll Shores .
 
 
Shellfish Sanitation and Recreational Water Quality Section      PO Box  769      Morehead City, NC 28557-0769      Phone: (252) 726-6827      Fax: (252)726-8475      Disclaimer
 

[genecrabman]

Sell em live and save lots of Headaches..

[R D]

Sell em live and save lots of Headaches..

Yep,because don't forget HAACP and the feds get involved too.

[got crab]

just sell after 5pm and sat and sun.  DEHC is closed then

[horsefly]

just sell after 5pm and sat and sun.  DEHC is closed then

Maybe or maybe not.....BUT if you make someone sick from eating and or dies....all [Sam Hill] will hit the fan.
Johnnycage...IMHO I would'nt take "Gotcrabs" advice... unless you really are a risky person. Call the above contacts I listed to see what it will take to get the ball rolling.  Might be just easier to sell them live.

[got crab]

I was being sarcastic