SNAPPA001

Save the Gulf Coast Oyster Industry


The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has made a decision to target the Gulf Coast oyster industry and force regulations which would cripple our $500 million per year industry and impact thousands of jobs. The rules would require that oysters harvested from the Gulf during the months of April through October be "sterilized" (most likely by irradiation), a process which kills the oyster and changes the taste and texture of the bivalve. As the FDA thumbs their nose at Gulf Coast seafood producers, they're inspecting under 2% of all imported seafood (including oysters) and testing only a small percentage of that. This figure becomes more poignant considering that imported seafood accounts for around 75% of all U.S. seafood consumption. The agency's reasoning is that 15 people die per year eating raw oysters, and this is an easy-to-fix problem. Though any lives lost are a tragedy, let's keep this number in perspective. Nearly all of those people are in high-risk categories. Hundreds more die each year choking on hot dogs (the shape is condusive), thousands more die from eating tainted vegetables and meat. The dangers of irradiated foods are just beginning to be studied and there are some health risks for workers at irradiation/processing facilities. There are many reasons why the FDA's decision flies in the face of reason. Please make your voice heard by signing this petition. For coverage of the ongoing situation, please visit http://rawoysters.blogspot.com

Sign the petition, pass it on please.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-raw-oysters

blackswamp

While growing up in south Louisiana, I was always told you should only eat raw oysters in months that have r's in the name, and have stayed with those guide lines all my life. Having said that, I know lots of people that eat them year round and have never known a single person to get sick from eating them. I have seen numerous cases of food poisoning from chicken, raw vegitables and any number of prepared foods in private homes and resturants. This seems to me to be a stunt cooked up by the F.D.A. to cover their inablity to regulate the real threats to our food supply by going after a relatively small industry that does not have the political clout to fight back. What a joke. Lets destroy another domestic industry and move it off shore, yea thats the ticket. The sea food industry in the United states is already regulated near to death, while imported seafood is allowed into the country virtualy uninspected. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know that the F.D.A. is so concerned for my health. NOT!

Team Seadation

Folks just keep in mind that it ALL boils down to CROOKED politicians in our country!!! Certain pockets get lined to either push issues or NOT to push issues. Money talks folks......sad but true!!!!