CPA calls for recall of risky Chinese seafood products


News Release

Contact: Fred Stokes 662 476 5568, Cell 601 527 2459

July 11, 2007

Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) calls for recall of risky Chinese seafood products

On June 28th, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action to detain all Chinese farm-raised catfish, bass, shrimp, dace (similar to carp), and eel.  This action came after a public outcry, stemming from the melamine contaminated pet food incident.   Melamine tainted pet food ingredients emanating from China called attention to an ongoing health risk problem with imported Chinese food products; especially farm raised fish and shrimp.

Chinese seafood products were repeatedly found to be filthy and contaminated with antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet, and fluoroquinolone.  Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to be carcinogenic.

This appears to be a very significant problem.  While reportedly inspecting only 1.5% of the shipments, FDA rejected 257 shipments of food imports from China during the month of April of this year.  While it is unclear what a “shipment” might consist of, it seems likely to be at least one 40,000 pound cargo container.  Based on this assumption, it is probable that more than 25,000 shipments (6.4 million pounds) of bad food that would have been rejected if inspected, got through and was consumed.

“We appreciate this FDA action blocking the importation of these selected unsafe Chinese seafood products,” said Fred Stokes, of the Organization for Competitive Markets, a CPA member. “But large amounts of product are already in the U. S. food system.  Without a recall, unsuspecting consumers will eat these products and risk becoming ill.  The Center for Disease Control estimates food-borne disease causes 5,000 deaths in the United States each year.  If there is sufficient health risk to warrant blocking importation of these items, they should be taken off the shelves.”

“The stores and restaurants that purchased the Chinese seafood should voluntarily seek to identify and dispose of affected products,” said Rob Dumont of the Tooling, Manufacturing and Technologies Association, another CPA member.  “We have knowledge that some affected products are currently being sold, even at farmers markets where consumers think they are getting an even better food product.”

“Major food retailers such as Wal-Mart, Stop & Shop, Albertsons, and Shaws should have already undergone a major search to find and discard this bad Chinese seafood,” continued Dumont.  “We believe the stores would have publicly announced such a program had they performed the search.  They have not.”

It is noteworthy that while China has exported large volumes of foods to the United States that have been found to be hazardous or unfit for human consumption, that country with its 1.3 billion people persistently refuses to import U. S. beef.

The FDA recall program is designed to retrieve unsafe food items from the food supply and accordingly protect U. S. consumers.  A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report in 2003 showed the FDA food recall program had problems which heighten the risk that unsafe food will ultimately be consumed.  However, a recall in this case would withdraw a substantial portion of the at-risk Chinese seafood already in the system and hopefully avoid unnecessary cases of food-borne.

 
The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) is newly formed non-profit coalition, working for new and positive trade policies that deliver prosperity and security to America, its citizens, farms, factories and working people.
 
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