Perhaps
OSHA, too. Anything deemed or potentially deemed hazardous must have an accompanying Material Data Safety Sheet, outlining the specific hazards, safe shipping / handling instructions and barrier protection requirements.
UPS states: MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheet: May indicate a product is hazardous. Ensure that
the shipment receives expert analysis before being advanced. These are transported in a similar manner to sampling. Samples for Testing: May contain
any number of dangerous goods.
I ship samples all the time. The post office requires whether samples are stable if damaged and exclude a broad spectrum of preservatives, bio hazards or volatile substances. For example, ethanol as a preservative is not permitted.
I've not seen the factories where wish pearls are artificially reconstructed. Tissue preservatives, like formaldehyde do well to preserve cell integrity, but smell to high heaven, especially with marine species. Bromine is used in hot tubs, but in low enough concentrations to demote algal growth, but not to preserve tissues, lest one would be pickled while bathing. Likewise, bromine was a critical component in
HALON fire suppression systems, thus banned. Pearl buckets are shipped and retained at room temperature, hence the concentrations of whatever preserves the oyster is exceedingly high. From what I've seen in videos or in person, almost every person handling these oysters wear
no barrier protection at all. Rather than thoroughly washing after each opening, most party hosts or kiosk merchants merely wipe their hands then handle drilling equipment and settings which are immediately worn when in person. I've never seen one piece washed before handing it over, ever.
The oysters themselves may be (or highly likely) borne of waters polluted by sewage, factor wastes, dangerous pathogens or other bio hazards. Normally, bivalve mollusks "adduct" to remain closed. When demised, the shells abduct. In other words... drawn apart. To prevent this, something must take place, likely chemical. Thermal treatment causes the adductor muscle to become dislodged from the shell. Clams, mussels and oysters pop open when cooked or gape while dying.
