Vitter Attaches Seafood Amendment to Agriculture Bill

Press Release

Vitter Attaches Seafood Amendment to Agriculture Bill

U.S. Sen. David Vitter today attached an amendment to the U.S. Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill that would help improve safety standards for imported seafood products.

"Gulf seafood is an integral component of our state's unique cuisine," Vitter said. "Given its importance to our state, I believe that seafood imported from other countries should be held to the same high standards that we impose on domestic seafood products. This amendment will help ensure that the FDA applies the same standards to all seafood and not just that produced in domestic waters."

Vitter's amendment requires that the Food and Drug Administration study the inspection capacity of imported seafood and the supply chains that are the most susceptible to health concerns or risk of contamination. The FDA has 240 days after enactment to submit their study to Congress and make recommendations for increasing inspection capacity.

"Foreign seafood producers often use antibiotics or other chemicals in their fish production that have been banned as unsafe in the United States," Vitter said. "Without more study and increased resources dedicated to test imports, our domestic fishermen are faced with unfair competition from products that should not be allowed to enter our food supply."

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