The Louisiana Restaurant Association is already involved, and now the Louisiana Congressional Delegation has stepped into the fight with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the issue of banning raw oysters for human consumption for parts of the year, as well as additional regulations the FDA wants to require.According to Chris Kirkham’s article for the Times-Picayune, “Louisiana's congressional delegation is vowing to fight a Food and Drug Administration plan that would take fresh, unprocessed oysters off the menu for seven months of the year.” Both Sens. Landrieu and Vitter, along with Congressman Charlie Melancon have expressed their opinion on the FDA’s plan to require “post-harvesting processing techniques for much of the year to reduce the risk from a rare, but potentially fatal bacterial disease present in oysters.”
Melancon states in Kirkham’s article ‘“This restriction on Gulf oysters, proposed in the name of food safety, is like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer . . . We all want safer food for our families, but Americans have been enjoying fresh, Louisiana-produced oysters for hundreds of years. They are not only a Louisiana delicacy, they are a part of our heritage and our way of life.”’
Last year, as noted by Senator Landrieu, there were 5,700 deaths from food-related illnesses, but only 15 were the result of vibrio vulnificus, the bacterial disease the FDA is trying to prevent. Those most susceptible to the disease are individuals with immune-deficiency conditions, like AIDS and cancer patients. The FDA has determined the disease is occurring with enough frequency that they must step up regulations by requiring post-harvesting techniques when the oysters are harvested that are intended to significantly reduce the probability of the disease occurring. It is this regulation that the delegation is opposing, along with the partial ban on oysters during the year.
Senator Landrieu states in the article that ‘"The FDA has bigger fish to fry and should let our seafood industry continue to educate consumers about the risks associated with eating raw products . . . Imposing burdensome federal regulations that may take away 3,500 much-needed jobs in Louisiana is not the answer."’
Senator Vitter had this to say, ‘“Seafood is an important component of Louisiana's culture, and certainly raw oysters are a key part of that . . . I'm concerned that the FDA is working unilaterally, instead of cooperating with the seafood industry to promote safety efforts. I will continue to support our local seafood industry with an eye toward programs and procedures that are designed to increase safety without placing an undue burden on them."’
What efforts these legislators may ultimately employ is unclear, but what is clear is that the FDA’s decision has drawn the attention of the Louisiana delegation, and they are ready to defend a popular food in their state.
To read the Kirkham article click here.
