Tomalley

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Tomalley or lobster paste is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of lobsters, that fulfils the functions of both the liver and the pancreas. It is considered a delicacy, and may be eaten alone but is often added to sauces for flavour. The term lobster paste or lobster pâté can also be used to indicate a mixture of tomalley and lobster roe. Lobster bisque, lobster stock, and lobster consommé is made using lobster bodies (heads), often including the lobster liver.

There are no known safety considerations when it comes to eating lobster meat. The tomalley, or hepatopancreas, can be consumed as other livers are, as there are no parts in the lobster that are poisonous. The tomalley, however, can contain high levels of PCBs which can give a number of negative health effects in large concentrations. The hepatopancreas of lobsters may contain toxins that are associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (saxitoxin and gonyautoxin) but those toxins leach out when the lobster is cooked in boiling water. The toxins responsible for most shellfish poisonings are water-soluble, heat and acid-stable, and are not inactivated by ordinary cooking methods.

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