Urner Berry Calls for USDA Inspection of All Catfish

In the commentary, author Richard E. Gutting Jr. underscored concerns over the safety of imported seafood and states that increased inspections will help, and not hinder, U.S. seafood importers.

'Like eggs, salmonella is a persistent hazard for farmed seafood, and so is the illegal use of veterinary drugs,' Gutting stated. 'Unlike eggs, most seafood is imported, so regulating American farmers alone won't fix the problem.'

Gutting said the FDA's current strategy of issuing Import Alerts to control contaminated seafood 'is unfair - and it isn't working. Import refusals of seafood persist, and the number of Import Alerts and shippers subject to mandatory testing is growing. Few importers can control farming operations thousands of miles away, and as the experts point out - you can't test your way out of food-safety problems.'

Rather, Gutting supports a more direct approach to work with the exporting countries to help them improve the safety of their products.

'You can, however, improve safety through government-to-government equivalency agreements, backed up by audits of foreign regulators and by government inspections,' Gutting said. 'This is the strategy pursued by other countries for seafood and by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for meat and poultry - and it's the strategy that will go into effect this December for catfish.'

Under the proposed new USDA regulations, said Gutting, U.S. catfish farmers, consumers and seafood importers alike all stand to benefit from increased food safety inspections.

'The government-to-government system works because it places responsibility where it needs to be - on foreign regulators and producers - rather than on importers,' Gutting said.

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