Which of the following documents must be kept on file for 90 days after the...

Shellfish, specifically molluscan shellfish like oysters, clams, and mussels, are high-risk foods because they can carry pathogens such asVibrioorHepatitis Adepending on the waters where they were harvested. To ensure traceability in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak, the FDA Food Code requires that these items be delivered withshellstock identification tags. These tags contain vital information, including the harvester’s identification number, the date of harvest, and the specific harvest location.1

The regulation states that these tags must remain attached to the container until it is empty. Once the last shellfish from that specific container is sold or served,2the Person in Charge (PIC) must write that date on the tag and keep the tag on file for90 days. This 90-day window is calculated because symptoms of illnesses likeHepatitis Acan take several weeks to appear; the records ensure that investigators can trace the source of the shellfish back to the specific bed where it was harvested months later. Options B, C, and D are important for quality or general administrative purposes, but they do not have the same legal "90-day retention" requirement tied to public health safety and outbreak investigation. Failure to maintain these tags is a major violation during a health inspection and can result in the immediate seizure or destruction of the shellfish by the regulatory authority.