Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Sealaska subsidiary’s mislabeled halibut recalled by FDA

October 30, 2020 — A labeling mistake has led the FDA to order the recall of more than two tons of packaged halibut filets produced by a subsidiary of Sealaska, the Juneau-based Alaska Native regional corporation.

The agency initiated the recall on October 23 after it was discovered that the breaded filets — advertised as gluten free — contain wheat and milk but did not reveal the presence of the potential allergens. No illnesses have been reported.

The fish was supplied and packaged by Orca Bay Foods. Since 2017 the Seattle area-based processor has been wholly owned by Sealaska, whose Alaska Native shareholders live in Southeast Alaska and the greater Pacific Northwest.

Read the full story at Raven Radio

National Fisheries Institute Statement on FDA Food Traceability Proposed Rule

September 22, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its proposed rule for traceability and recordkeeping, along with a draft “Food Traceability List” that catalogues which products would be subject to the requirements.

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) supports efforts to both modernize and advance food safety. The seafood community has been at the forefront of efforts to safeguard our safe and wholesome products as an early adapter of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This year, as the FDA moves towards an evolution in traceability, NFI’s members have proactively explored technologically enabled traceability through a Blockchain pilot to test its viability in a real seafood value chain.

We are currently reviewing the proposed rule and draft “Food Traceability List.” And as with any new regulatory structure, we are interested in ensuring there are no duplicative systems that would complicate the new traceability parameters.

An initial review of the draft “Food Traceability List,” from a seafood perspective, suggests a “one size fits all” approach; which may not be warranted. Just like with HACCP and other modern food safety efforts, a focus on a few critical points or products is a better use of energy and resources.

We are hopeful this proposal will help begin an orderly process that integrates modern supply chain traceability systems within a technologically advanced regulatory structure.

FDA and OSHA publish COVID-19 food safety checklist, with additional information for seafood processors

September 2, 2020 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has released a food safety checklist for human and animal food operations to heed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The checklist is meant to be used as an assessment tool as pandemic conditions persist, and can be especially pertinent for operations re-starting after a recent shutdown.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

FDA rejects historically low seafood imports in July

August 25, 2020 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refused only 37 seafood entry lines in July, continuing a trend where federal officials were rejecting a historically low number of products.

According to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, that amount is by far a record low for the month. It’s only 21.3 percent of this historical average the alliance has tracked since 2002. It’s also significantly lower than the previous record low of 91 entry lines, which occurred last year.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

FDA beefs up food safety guidelines and announces plans to resume inspections

July 15, 2020 — The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new food safety guidelines include utilizing technology to enhance traceability, responding more quickly to outbreaks, and other factors affecting the seafood industry.

This New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint represents a “new approach to food safety, leveraging technology and other tools to create a safer and more digital, traceable food system,” the agency said on its website.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the FDA’s Smarter Food Safety Blueprint

July 14, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Yesterday’s announcement of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint demonstrates how the agency plans to rapidly evolve its regulatory approach in an age of unprecedented technological advancement.

Forecasting unique demands on the future value chain will help FDA identify and whenever possible neutralize challenges. In just the past few months, the seafood market has changed and the seafood community and FDA have worked to keep our food supply safe with a rigorous yet flexible approach.

We are pleased to see the Trump Administration embracing a food safety framework for the future that is both smart and safe.

The Facts About Seafood, COVID, and Chinese Food Markets

June 17, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

On 13 June, Chinese media began reporting on the closure of the Xinfadi food markets in Beijing due the presence of COVID-19.

Do not be misled by sensational reports.  The facts are clear.  And these are the facts about food according to academic experts and global public health officials and agencies:

Former Commissioner of US Food and Drug Administration states:  “The idea it hitched a ride on fish is highly implausible.  I mean it is absurd.  I can’t see any plausible scenario where this virus rode in on a salmon.”

The World Health Organization states:  “As food has not been implicated in the transmission of COVID-19, testing of food or food surfaces for this virus is not recommended.”

The Codex Alimentarius states:  “COVID-19 is a respiratory illness primarily transmitted through person-to-person contact and direct contact with respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes.  There is no evidence to date of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses being transmitted via food or food packaging.  Coronaviruses cannot multiply in food; they need an animal or human host to multiply. It is highly unlikely that people can contract COVID-19 from food or food packaging.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states: “Despite the hypothesis that the virus may have originated in bats and infected another animal used for food, there is no evidence of continued transmission of the virus from animals to humans through the food chain.”

The US Food and Drug Administration states: “…. there is no evidence that food or food packaging have been associated with transmission (of COVID-19) and no reason to be concerned.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states:  “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging..”

Canadian Food Inspection Agency states:  “Scientists and food safety authorities around the world are closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19.  There are currently no reported cases of COVID-19 being spread through food.”

The Norwegian Food Safety Agency states:  “There are no known cases of infection via contaminated food, imported food or water.  Therefore, fish and seafood products from Norway are safe to eat” and “Currently there are no known cases of infection via contaminated food, imported food or water.  Based on current knowledge of coronaviruses, infection via food and water is considered unlikely.”

The European Food Safety Authority states:  “Experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), show that transmission through food consumption did not occur.  At the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that coronavirus is any different in this respect.”

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment states: “There are currently no cases which have shown evidence of humans being infected with the new type of coronavirus via the consumption of contaminated food.  There is also currently no reliable evidence of transmission of the virus via contact with contaminated objects or contaminated surfaces, which would have led to subsequent human infections.”

The Chilean National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service states:  “There is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect aquatic animals and, therefore, these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans.”

University College London researchers state:  “SARS-CoV-2 can infect a broad range of mammals, but few fish, birds or reptiles” and that “most [fish] have no susceptibility to infection.”

Asian Fisheries Science journal states:  “Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect aquatic food animals (e.g. finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, amphibians) and therefore these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans.”  (authors include 16 global public health researchers)

North Carolina State University researcher states:   “In fact, we don’t see evidence of any respiratory viruses being transmitted through food in the past.”  (COVID-19 is a respiratory virus) and “‘The good news with this particular virus is that it is not a foodborne virus.  Most of the food that we eat, ends up getting right into our gut and ends up encountering a whole bunch of acid in our stomachs.  And this virus particularly doesn’t really remain infectious once it hits the stomach.”

For more information about what global public health professionals say about seafood and COVID, visitCOVID-19 & Seafood website.

FDA allows more flexibility in food labels

June 1, 2020 — For the fifth time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing flexibility in food labeling.

In the agency’s new guidance, the FDA said that food manufacturers making minor formulation and ingredient changes to their products due to scarcity of ingredients related to COVID-19 do not have to make corresponding changes to their labeling.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NFI Statement on FDA/USDA Food Safety MOU

May 20, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The National Fisheries Institute is pleased to see the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Agriculture Department (USDA) working together to ensure continued food safety during the COVID19 pandemic.

Recognizing that the FDA draws its jurisdiction from the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the USDA regulates via the Federal Meat Inspection Act, it is more important than ever to have these vital agencies communicating and collaborating.  While seafood remains available at grocers and restaurants, we thank the Administration for planning ahead.

NFI members are taking the needed steps to keep our essential workers safe and continuing to provide consumers with healthy seafood. This memorandum of understanding will benefit frontline food safety and help avoid interruptions that might unnecessarily disrupt seafood production.