Seafood Safety Standards Act Introduced to Congress
The new Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act introduced in the Senate this week by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) is being supported by the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA).
Vitter’s bill specifically targets foreign food imported into the U.S. with hopes of tightening testing standards, ultimately benefiting the American shrimp industry. The bill call for increased inspection standards on foreign imported seafood, placement of U.S. safety standards for foreign exporters, and more severe penalties for exporters who fail food safety inspections.
"Our industry has battled waves of unfairly traded shrimp from overseas for many years," says Dr. David Veal, director for ASPA. "Many foreign countries producing farm-raised shrimp may not use the same safety standards as required in the U.S., as such, unapproved chemicals and antibiotics may find their way if the product ships to the U.S. for consumption. This potentially puts consumers at risk."
If all goes according to plan, all imported seafood will experience the same food safety regulations as are in place for U.S. fisheries.
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