# Leaving my Salmon Steak in the Sun for a Few Days

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-my-salmon-steak-in-the-sun-for-a-few-days/571617>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 16, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-my-salmon-steak-in-the-sun-for-a-few-days/571617 "2011-02-16T18:56:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-my-salmon-steak-in-the-sun-for-a-few-days/571617/21 "2011-02-17T19:02:44Z")

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> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> What really amazes me-the native American sun-dried oysters and clams-two shellfish that are notorious for culturing pretty nasty bacteria-does the dangerous bacterially-produced toxins get destroyed with exposure to sunlight?  
> Bad oysters can KILL you-how did they get away with sun-drying them?

Mostly because bad oysters kill with some version of Paralytic/Amnesiac/Neurotoxic/Other Shellfish Poisoning ([see Wikip.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellfish_poisoning),) which are caused by planktonic organisms (diatoms, dinoflagellates, etc.) that require saltwater to survive. Shellfish are exposed to these toxins in the sea and can bring the toxins with them when they are harvested.

Whatever someone does to the oyster on land, such as drying it in the sun, is not going to make more of that toxin leap up out of the sea and infest the oyster.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaving-my-salmon-steak-in-the-sun-for-a-few-days/571617/22 "2011-02-17T20:23:11Z")

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Vibrio vulnificus is the bacteria in oysters that is most dangerous to people with liver disease or immune systems that are compromised. It comes with the oyster and is not introduced via aging or handling.

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