News - State

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Taylor opposes oyster proposal

Representative’s letter to FDA protests possible changes

U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor has written a letter to the Food and Drug Administration to oppose their plans to require raw oysters to undergo a post-catch process to rid them of a very rare, but potentially deadly bacteria.

The FDA may require one of four treatments for Gulf oysters caught during the warm summer months: quick frozen, high-pressure treated, mild heat or low-dose gamma radiation to help lower deaths from the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources says the bacteria occurs more commonly between April and October when coastal waters are warmest, though they say they have heard of few cases here.

The regulations could take effect in 2011, but the seafood industry may be gearing up to oppose them.

They say the plan would hurt the industry by driving up production costs and would force them to sell a less tasty oyster at a higher price, which may turn off customers. According to the Associated Press, the FDA says treating the oysters doesn’t affect the taste and that those that are treated hardly ever cause anyone problems, while untreated oysters can have “deadly consequences.”

In his letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, Taylor said the FDA is already struggling to meet its current commitments to its other duties due to understaffing and insufficient computer equipment according to Government Accountability Office reports. Taylor said the FDA would be better served taking on imported shrimp, which he said often are not regulated.

“Foreign shrimp are grown in ponds that are completely unregulated and have absolutely no inspection process,” Taylor wrote. “They are filled with bacteria, hormones and other substances that the FDA has not had the time to inspect. I would much rather see the FDA spend its time investigating foreign shrimp being exported to the United States than create new requirements on an industry that is already heavily regulated by both the federal government and the states.”

A reported 15 people die in the United States each year from eating oysters infected with the Vibrio vulnificus. Those highest at risk have liver disorders, hemochromatosis, diabetes mellitus and immune system issues such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, or other health issues. DMR officials said they could only recall about three cases of the illness involving Mississippi oysters over the last few years.

Officials with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources told the Sun Herald this week that before the FDA plan was announced, DMR was already considering requiring oysters caught during the warmer months to be refrigerated within two hours of being hauled into the boat, which they said would be much quicker than most are being refrigerated now.

DMR also does many water-quality tests. DMR officials also claim that the state’s oyster harvest is often sparse during the traditional summer months of June, July and August.

Taylor also said the FDA and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference had already been working on a plan to reduce illnesses by 60 percent. The plans would require oystermen to make substantial and expensive upgrades to their refrigeration equipment, Taylor said. He also noted overhauls to DMR’s oyster handling regulations.

“The ISSC fully expected the FDA to support this process in accordance with the agreements they had made with the ISSC,” Taylor said. “Instead the FDA has proposed this unilateral action banning raw oysters, contrary to their agreement with the ISSC. …This decision is not consistent with the work that has been done by the FDA and the ISSC fighting V.v and it does not make sense for the FDA to take on this new commitment.”