The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is adding China to the list of countries that must test seafood for a banned substance before it can be sold in Louisiana, Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Bob Odom said Friday. “We’ve stopped the sale of Chinese seafood in Louisiana until we get test results proving it is free of the antibiotic fluoroquinolone,” Odom said.
“I’m disgusted by other countries trying to harm our people and animals with tainted food products. This has got to stop.
“Our farmers, fishermen and ranchers are held to a high standard of safety in this country and we should expect seafood coming in from other countries to be held to the same standard.”
Odom’s department is enforcing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s established zero-tolerance policy for this class of antibiotics.
Fluoroquinolones were previously found in Vietnamese seafood in 2005. Currently, any seafood from that country must be tested by an approved lab and proven to be free of the substance before it can be sold in the state. China is now being added to the list.
Odom said he was notified by Alabama’s agriculture commissioner about the possible presence of fluoroqinolones in Chinese catfish.
“Our inspectors pulled seafood samples from the U.S., China, Vietnam and Thailand,” said Odom. “Of the 14 samples, one from China and one from Vietnam came back positive for fluoroquinolones. The product from the U.S. came back clean.
“This proves our testing requirements work,” said Odom. “This also shows that zero-tolerance policies must be enforced to protect our consumers.”
Opinions? Sound off! Write editor@heraldguide.com
Be the first to comment