U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York is calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ramp up inspection of imported seafood for banned antibiotics and other substances, singling out China as a habitual offender.
“It has become abundantly clear that seafood from China can stink, and it’s time the FDA stepped up their efforts to protect public health,” said Schumer on Wednesday while touring the Continental Organics fish farm in New Windsor, N.Y.
“Once again, China’s blatant disregard for basic safety standards has put Americans’ health at risk, all while contaminated fish from China are directly competing with American-raised fish from fisheries that play by the rules, just like Continental Organics,” he added. “That is why I’m urging the FDA to immediately step up inspections of imported fish to increase safety and to take steps to make fish origin labels more accurate so consumers know where their food is coming from.”
Schumer voiced his support for the Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act, introduced in late January by U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii on behalf of Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Olympia Snowe of Maine. The bill, referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in early June, is intended to strengthen seafood inspection, labeling and traceability standards as well as cooperation among federal agencies, including the FDA, which is responsible for regulating the U.S. seafood supply. It now has nine sponsors.
“I want to applaud Sen. Schumer for taking the lead on this important issue,” said Continental Organics President Mike Finnegan in a press release. “This is a potential public health crisis.”
Continental Organics is aquaponics operations, combining hydroponics with fish farming, mainly tilapia.
