Sea Grant Launches New Seafood Safety Program
By Veronica Del Bianco
Despite the static kill of BP’s runaway oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, the spread of oil throughout wide areas of Gulf waters, and the continued assurances of government and non-government agencies, many Americans remained concerned about the safety of Gulf seafood.
To combat this common misconception, the university-based program, Sea Grant, is launching a new seafood monitoring program which will expand testing for oil and conduct long-term studies on seafood safety in order for consumers to purchase and consume Gulf seafood with confidence.
Dr. Steve Otwell (r), a Florida Sea Grant seafood specialist, and Louisiana Sea Grant Seafood Specialist Dr. Jon Bell.
“We’re dealing with a perception problem due to the oil spill that a lot of the seafood has been compromised,” says Dr. Steve Otwell, a Florida Sea Grant seafood specialist, “but the true facts are that the vast majority of the seafood is safe to consume.”
Universities from Texas to Florida will be participating in the new program that is an expansion of the existing mandate and commercial practice called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). HACCP is a system which identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards that are of consequence for food safety.
“A major problem is the public perception that the product isn’t safe when indeed it is if it goes through these evaluations,” explains Louisiana Sea Grant Seafood Specialist Dr. Jon Bell. A significant part of the improvement will be increasing evaluations by training additional processors in the ability to identify any taint or contamination from oil.
However, producing scientific data is only useful to consumers if its readily available and easily understood.
According to Dr. Bell, “A major component of this improved seafood safety program will be the marketing to consumers so that they are aware that the product they are receiving and purchasing is indeed safe and fit for consumption.”
Sea Grant will provide scientific data in a clear and transparent manner in order to restore consumer confidence in wild caught seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.
Category: Chefs & Experts
