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Seafood Safety Advisories

China Ramps up Seafood Safety

January 2, 2008 - In response to recent fire from the United States Food and Drug Administration, China’s Ministry of Agriculture has increased food safety standards relative to farmed seafood production. These standards are designed to improve the quality of the country’s seafood, including preventing the use of illegal veterinary drugs in farmed seafood. For this full article, see http://www.seafoodsource.com/NST-1-4155/China-ramps-up-seafood-safety-efforts.aspx

FDA employs stricter control on Chinese Aquaculture imports

June 28, 2007 - The Food and Drug Administration announced a broader import control of farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace (related to carp), and eel from China. FDA will detain these products at the border until the shipments are proven to be free of residues from drugs that are not approved in the United States for use in farm-raised aquatic animals. The agency took this action to protect American consumers from unsafe residues detected in these products. There have been no reports of illnesses to date. For more information, please see the following Adobe pdf file from the FDA: http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/seafood062807.pdf

 

Updated New Jersey DEP Fish Advisories

March 30, 2006 - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Advisories for fish and crabs caught in New Jersey waters are available at Fish Smart/Eat Smart. The site has information on specific toxins, species, and water bodies, as well as ways to limit potential risks.

Gulf States, Feds report on Seafood

December 9, 2005 - An EPA News Release states in part that " ... The states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, along with U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have analyzed hundreds of samples of fish and shellfish from the waters affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. To date, the data show no reason for concern about consuming seafood from the Gulf region due to the hurricanes. While many oyster harvest areas have been tested and re-opened, other areas remain closed until routine sampling by existing state regulated Molluscan Shellfish Programs determines that oyster harvesting can resume..." - The complete text of the news release is posted at the EPA Newsroom.

FDA Hurricane Katrina Recovery Update

September 12, 2005 - The latest Gulf Coast seafood availability and safety information is available in FDA Bulletin 2. Read additional FDA Hurricane Katrina Recovery Updates.

EPA Releases 12th Annual National Listing of Fish Advisories

August 24, 2004. - The EPA releases a "summary of information on locally-issued fish advisories and safe-eating guidelines. This information is provided to EPA annually by states, territories and tribes ... State-issued advisories apply primarily to non-commercial fish and shellfish obtained through sport, recreation and subsistence activities. Each advisory is different: it may recommend unrestricted, limited or totally restricted consumption; may be targeted to everyone or limited to women, children or other people at risk; and may apply to certain species or sizes of fish or a specific water body. States issue advisories for any of 40 different pollutants. Most advisories (98 percent) involve five bioaccumulative contaminants: PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, DDT and mercury. In addition to steps to reduce mercury emissions, actions have or are being taken to address other pollutants of concern: production of PCBs for use ceased in 1977, chlordane was banned in 1988, DDT was banned in 1972 and dioxin emissions have been dramatically reduced. A fact sheet with additional information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/.

Memorandum of Understanding

A Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Contaminants in Fish and Shellfish has been signed by the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the EPA Office of Water, which took effect on June 8, 2005 -
The purpose of the MOU is " ... to establish a greater collaboration between CFSAN and OW regarding environmental contaminants in fish and shellfish and the safety of fish and shellfish for consumption by U.S. consumers ..."
- FDA CFSAN Contact: Karen Carson at 301 436 1664; Karen.Carson@CFSAN.FDA.gov
EPA OW Contact: Jeffrey Bigler, National Fish and Wildlife Contamination Program at 202 566 0389; Bigler.Jeff@EPA.gov

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