Alabama Gulf seafood deemed safe five years after oil rig explosion

Samples of Alabama seafood product taken over the past three years has been proven safe to consume by the Alabama Seafood Testing program, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Tested seafood includes crabs, finfish, oysters and shrimp.

The testing follows the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in 2010, when the rig exploded and sank into the Gulf of Mexico. Shortly thereafter, Gov. Robert Bentley established the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission (ASMC) to provide management and promotion of Alabama seafood and to rehabilitate the Alabama seafood industry.

Numbers reported in January 2015 showed results below the limits of detection for harmful substances found in both crude oil and dispersants. Testing was done by the Alabama Departments of Agriculture and Industry (ADAI), Conservation and Natural Resources/Marine Resources Division (ADCNR/MRD), and ADPH, Bureau of Clinical Laboratories (BCL) and Epidemiology Toxicology Branch.

"As the fifth anniversary approaches, we can report that not only is our Alabamaproduct safe – as proven by testing over the course of the last few years – but we can also report that the Alabama Gulf Seafood brand itself is well respected, trusted and consumed," said Chris Blankenship, program administrator for the ASMC and director of Alabama Marine Resources.

"The resiliency of our Gulf seafood community has been compounded by support from all over the state from chefs, restaurants, food distributors, grocery stores and the general consumer that ensure what they purchase is local."

 

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