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Members of Congress Call on GAO to Investigate the Safety of Imported Seafood

April 26, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC (April 26, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) this week called on the Government Accountability Office to investigate the safety of potentially dangerous imported seafood. More than 94 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported.

"According to the National Marine Fisheries Service, in 2014 approximately 94 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States was imported, with imports increasing 3.2 percent from 2014 to 2015 for a total of over 2.6 million metric tons. Of this imported seafood, around half is farm-raised, and there remain serious problems with the food safety system for imported seafood. Because of the high rate of bacterial infection in farm-raised seafood, overseas producers often use antimicrobial agents—which in many instances are banned by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food-producing animals in the United States. The risk of residue is significant, and the health repercussions may be severe," wrote the Members.

The full letter is available here.

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