Fish "COOL"

[Mike]

MONTGOMERY – Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries Ron Sparks has announced an amendment today to the August 2005 stop sale order of all Vietnamese farm-raised fish and seafood products in the state of Alabama to include grouper, sole, and flounder. The extension is a result of continued testing of Vietnamese brands of fish by the Department.

The original stop sale order in August of 2005 was for more than 200,000 lbs. of product, which included approximately 115,000 lbs. that was mislabeled as Vietnam Wild Caught Sole. The product was actually pangasius hypothalamus (sutchi catfish). In April 2006, 44,000 lbs. of product labeled Wild Caught Grouper were determined to be mislabeled pangasius hypothalamus.

"These companies have a history of mislabeling their fish and sending it to the United States," said Sparks. "Mostly they label basa as grouper to avoid our tariffs, but they also try to disguise farm-raised fish as wild caught. The main reason this is important to consumers is that in Vietnam, the producers use FDA banned antibiotics in their farm-raised fish. It also means that consumers are paying a higher price for a fish they think is grouper that is actually basa, or another fish. The Department's testing of these products is not a one time thing. We want the people of Alabama to know that we will continue to be vigilant about what we allow to enter our food supply."

 

[RobertMac]

I thought a promise of "USDA equivalency" was satisfactory for importation. :?
Does Ron check red meat to make sure ground beef is all ground BEEF ? :shock:
I might have to step across the line to Cuba next time I want to eat out!!!!! :wink:

 

[Sandhusker]

"The main reason this is important to consumers is that in Vietnam, the producers use FDA banned antibiotics in their farm-raised fish."

MRJ, do you still insist that COOL has no health/safety benefits?

 

[Frank Downey]

not only that but most of the (ponds) that they have actually encase the underside of alot of their homes.Which mean that all of the waste that they
have goes right to the fish.This is one thing that Alabama is doing that alot
of states should do.

 

[William Kanitz]

ScoringAg.com does the COOL law with fish . Check out this link,
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/FEATURES/608210345

 

[Econ101]

What happened to Homeland Security? Our food supply needs to be more secure than the talking heads in D.C. are crowing about.

This has been an utter failure of the administration and the USDA.

 

[William Kanitz]

Any comments on our verification system?

 

[Econ101]

Any comments on our verification system?

I don't really know your system off hand, but it seems to me that your system could be used extensively in making sure that the products labeled are what they say they are and could catch those who are cheating in mislabeling easier.

Those would be good things.

 

[William Kanitz]

In some countrys ScoringAg is part of regulatory.

 

[PORKER]

DITTO Econ: seems to me that your system could be used extensively in making sure that the products labeled are what they say they are and could catch those who are cheating in mislabeling easier.