Safe and Delicious
Food safety officials are taking a two-pronged approach to ensure that tainted seafood doesn’t reach consumers. First, one-third of the fishing areas of the Gulf of Mexico are closed because of the oil spill, ensuring that the fish are harvested in unaffected waters. Second, fish samples are tested for evidence of contamination, to add a second layer of protection to ensure food safety. Unfortunately, perception matters and these measures have not reassured consumers. The Director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board reports that buyers are canceling orders and more restaurants are posting notices that they are not selling seafood caught in the Gulf. Sadly, history may be repeating itself as buyers shunned Gulf seafood for two years after Hurricane Katrina, even though fishing waters were cleared as safe a month after the hurricane. The impact is significant as Louisiana’s seafood brand accounts for one-third of all U.S. production. For the commercial fishing businesses it is a triple impact: reduced harvests (Worldwide Shrimp reports that it would normally pack 250,000 pounds of Gulf Coast shrimp daily at this time of year versus 15,000 pounds now as a consequence of the oil spill); lower sales volumes owing to consumer fears and this occurring when shrimp prices are 50% higher than they were at this time last year. Perhaps one thing we could all do to help Louisiana is to purchase their seafood and spread the word about the adequacy of food safety measures.