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From the Alabama Farmers Federation:
Catfish farmers and health-conscious consumers could feel the impact of a U.S. Senate vote Wednesday to switch catfish inspections from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) back to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Alabama Farmers Federation National Legislative Programs Director Mitt Walker said the move would reverse recent gains in keeping tainted foreign fish from flooding the U.S. market.
“Since taking over inspections in April, the USDA already has stopped two shipments of Vietnamese fish contaminated with banned chemicals from reaching American tables,” Walker said. “In the last two years FDA was inspecting fish, only two shipments with known carcinogens were discovered.”
Alabama Sens. Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions voted against transferring inspections back to FDA. The measure, S.J. Res. 28, passed 55-43 and now heads to the House of Representatives where it’s expected to get a favorable reception by coastal state lawmakers concerned about the trade consequences of tighter inspections.
“We appreciate Sens. Shelby and Sessions standing with Alabama catfish farmers and American consumers in opposing this reversal of common-sense policy,” Walker said. “The track record of past inspections shows those supporting the measure are clearly putting the interests of foreign exporters above the American people.”
Sen. Shelby said thorough inspections are vital to food safety and trade fairness.
“Alabama’s catfish farmers provide the American people with a safe, affordable and high-quality product,” he said. “I believe that the USDA’s catfish inspection program is the best way to ensure consumer safety and protection, and I am deeply disappointed by the Senate’s vote to repeal it. The catfish industry is vital to our state’s economy, and we must ensure that our farmers are not put at a disadvantage by foreign importers who refuse to play by the rules.”
The Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) expressed disappointment with the Senate vote.
“This issue is about food safety,” said CFA spokesman Chad Causey. “FSIS (Food Safety Inspection Service), in a few short weeks, has already provided a much higher level of inspection than FDA ever did. In literally the first few inspections by FSIS, they denied entry on two shipments of Vietnamese (catfish) for crystal violet and malachite green contamination.”
See more on AlfaFarmers.org.