SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning consumers to not eat the internal organs (viscera) of Sport-Harvested Dungeness crab caught along one coastal area of Northern California.  

This warning is in effect for state waters located at: 

• Reading Rock State Marine Reserve (41° 17.6' N. Latitude) to Cape Mendocino (40⁰ 10' N. Latitude) 
  

CDPH is advising consumers not to eat the internal organs (viscera) of Dungeness crab harvested from the coastal areas identified above. Dangerous levels of domoic acid that can lead to Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning have only been detected in the internal organs (viscera) of Dungeness crab caught from this area. CDPH has updated its Do Not Consume Internal Organs advisory dated January 2, 2026, where the public was warned to not consume the internal organs of any sport-harvested Dungeness crab from the state waters mentioned above, plus an additional area not included in this advisory due to clean test results. Domoic Acid is a naturally occurring biotoxin. Cooking the crab does not decrease or destroy the toxin. 

Consumers are advised to always discard the viscera and cooking liquids and adhere to the following best preparation practices to avoid any inadvertent exposure to domoic acid that may be sporadically found in the crab’s viscera. It is always best to remove the viscera and rinse out the body cavity prior to cooking (i.e., boiling, steaming or frying). If whole crab(s) are cooked in liquid, domoic acid may leach into the broth. The cooking water or broth should be discarded and not used to prepare dishes such as sauces, broth, soups, or stews (cioppino or gumbo), stocks, roux, dressings, or dips. 

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, and dizziness. These symptoms disappear within several days. In severe cases, the consumer may experience trouble breathing, confusion, cardiovascular instability, seizures, excessive bronchial secretions, permanent loss of short-term memory, coma, or death. 

CDPH continues to coordinate its efforts with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the fishing community to collect and test crab samples from the impacted areas until domoic acid levels have dissipated. ​

Test results are updated as laboratory results become available and can be viewed on the CDPH Domoic Acid webpage. Please visit CDPH’s Domoic Acid FAQ for more information. To receive updated information about shellfish poisoning and quarantines, call CDPH’s toll-free “Shellfish Information Line” at (800) 553-4133. ​​​​​​​​