Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) to protect Americans from contaminated seafood. Carter says far too often foreign products that fail inspections are not destroyed and then make it back into the food chain.
The proposed bill would empower the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to close the loophole and destroy imports that are: “Contaminated or ill-processed seafood that’s coming into our country that has not gone through the same level of testing for bacteria and other contaminants as good Louisiana seafood does.”
Authorities say that importers will shop ports of entry after an initial denial by the FDA to sell their foreign imported seafood. The bipartisan Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act explains that while any, “FDA-regulated medical devices and medication can be destroyed if the agency deems the imported health risk for public use…this authority does not extend to imported food products that are inspected and fail to meet U.S. health and safety standards."
State lawmakers have also gotten involved in the seafood safety issue. On April 9, the state Senate voted unanimously 38-to-0 in favor of Senate Bill 166, which strengthens laws against misleading foreign seafood labeling and marketing. It also toughens the fines for violators. Louisiana House members approved the measure by a vote of 91-to-4 on May 14. Governor Jeff Landry signed the bill May 22, becoming Act No. 148. It goes into effect on January 1, 2025.
The legislation also helps the struggling shrimp industry by requiring “All state agencies, state institutions, or local school districts operating food service facilities for students, or for patients, or for inmates in their custody, shall only utilize domestic shrimp or domestic crawfish.”
