Catfish typically pose less of an acute food poisoning risk to consumers than certain other types of fish. This is in part because catfish are generally not eaten raw or packaged in ready to eat form and are neither scombrotoxic nor prone to other natural toxins.
Historically, FDA sometimes found violations in domestic catfish product and, when we did, took appropriate regulatory action. Generally, when unapproved antibiotic chemicals were detected in imported catfish, FDA placed these products on Import Alert to prevent contaminated product from entering the country, as described in greater detail later in the testimony. FSMA provided FDA with additional tools, such as the authority to issue a mandatory recall for foods other than infant formula, for which FDA already has recall authority when a company fails to voluntarily recall regulated foods that meet certain criteria, after having been asked to do so by the Agency.
In addition, FDA can now order administrative detention of any article of food if there is reason to believe that it is adulterated or misbranded. In addition to these new enforcement tools, FDA also has new authority under FSMA to suspend the registration of a facility if the Agency determines that food manufactured, processed, packed, received, or held by such facility has a reasonable probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or death.
These new authorities enable the Agency to more effectively prevent unsafe food from entering commerce. The environmental sampling from these establishments resulted in a number of seafood recalls because FDA detected Listeria monocytogenes. This also led to the registration suspension of one seafood HACCP establishment, which prevents food from the establishment from entering commerce until appropriate measures are taken to protect food safety.
The Agency has numerous tools and authorities that enable it to take appropriate action regarding imported products. Besides HACCP inspections of foreign facilities, the Agency also conducts surveillance of food offered for import at the border, referred to as import entries, to check for compliance with U. Based on this electronic screening, the Agency focuses its inspection and sampling resources on those entries with the potential for the greatest impact on public health.
Another key tool for screening imported goods is the Import Alert. Import Alerts inform FDA field personnel that the Agency has sufficient evidence or other information about a particular product, producer, shipper, importer, geographical region, or country to believe that future shipments of an imported product may be violative. On the basis of that evidence, FDA field personnel may detain future shipments of the article that is being offered for import into the United States without physically examining or testing the product.
When an Import Alert is issued and FDA detains an import entry, the importer has an opportunity to introduce evidence to demonstrate that the product is not violative. The Import Alert shifts the burden to the importer to provide testimony to demonstrate that the product meets FDA regulatory requirements. If the testimony includes laboratory analysis, FDA laboratory staff will review the laboratory report to verify that the results are accurate and had been analyzed using a valid method, and that the sample had been collected properly before accepting the results as a basis to release the entry into U.
FDA also performs laboratory analysis on a sampling of products offered for import into the United States and performs periodic filer evaluations to ensure that import data being provided to FDA is accurate. It is worth noting that FDA is working globally to better accomplish its mission to promote and protect the public health of the United States. Food safety continues to be a top priority for FDA. The Agency has a strong regulatory program in place for fish and other seafood products.
FDA will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to ensure the safety of both domestic and imported seafood. Thank you, again, for the opportunity to appear before you today.
The U. Department of Agriculture published the final rule … Continue Reading Educational meetings set on catfish final rule. Long-awaited U. Department of Agriculture USDA catfish inspections, mandated by Farm Bills since , will begin next March, according to a final rule establishing an inspection program for fish in the order Siluriformes, including catfish.
If food safety put catfish under USDA inspection, can shrimp be far behind? Most of the so-called political experts were predicting … Continue Reading U. The House Agriculture Committee voted to repeal a controversial catfish inspection program at the U.
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