NOAA and FDA Announce Gulf Seafood well within safety standards based on new, more stringent testing |
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A study conducted by NOAA and the FDA, building upon the extensive testing and protocols already in use by federal, state and local officials for the fishing waters of the Gulf, NOAA and the FDA are using a chemical test to detect dispersants used in the Deepwater Horizon-BP oil spill in fish, oysters, crab and shrimp. Trace amounts of the chemicals used in dispersants are common, and levels for safety have been previously set. Previous testing involved a "sensory analysis process". Using this new test in the Gulf scientists have tested 1,735 tissue
samples including more than half of those collected to reopen Gulf of
Mexico federal waters. Only a few showed trace amounts of dispersants
residue (13 of the 1,735) and they were well below the safety threshold
of 100 parts per million for finfish and 500 parts per million for
shrimp, crabs and oysters. As such, the study concludes that they do not
pose a threat to human health. "The rigorous testing we have done from the very beginning gives us confidence in the safety of seafood being brought to market from the Gulf," said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary for commerce and NOAA administrator. "This test adds another layer of information, reinforcing our findings to date that seafood from the Gulf remains safe." "This new test should help strengthen consumer confidence in Gulf seafood," said Margaret A. Hamburg, Ph.D., commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. "The overwhelming majority of the seafood tested shows no detectable residue, and not one of the samples shows a residue level that would be harmful for humans. There is no question Gulf seafood coming to market is safe from oil or dispersant residue." For more information: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20101029_seafood.html ©2010. Copyright Environmental News Network To subscribe or visit go to: http://www.enn.com |