Shellfish Safety ProgramIn addition to the mandatory FDA HACCP program, farm-raisedoysters, clams, and mussels are closely monitored by theInterstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). Stateagencies, in cooperation with the FDA, administer acertification program requiring wholesale shellfish dealers toharvest, handle, process, and ship shellfish under sanitaryconditions and maintain records verifying that the shellfishwere harvested from approved waters. State agenciesregularly test shellfish growing waters to help ensure that theshellfish harvested from those waters are safe, inspectshellfish handling and shipping facilities, and routinely collectsamples of shellfish for thorough testing. The FDA publishes alisting of certified interstate shellfish shippers. Stateinspectors collect shellfish from retailers and restaurants foradditional testing.

All bivalve molluscan shellfish (clams,oysters, and mussels) must betagged with information aboutwhen they were harvested, whoharvested them, and where theywere harvested. The tag mustalso include the shellfishshipper’s number. This helps toensure that shellfish are harvestedfrom approved areas by licensedharvesters.

Retail/RestaurantInspectionCounty, local, and state health departments routinely inspectseafood sales at the retail level.

The Public Health Service regularly updates the U.S. FoodCode to help ensure that appropriate steps are being taken tomaintain a wholesome, safe and nutritious food supply. TheCode provides an extensive set of food handling requirements.

Farm-Raised Seafood forGood HealthU.S. farm-raised seafood is a safe and sustainable product.Government agencies including the U.S. Department ofAgriculture and the Food and Drug Administration as well asnumerous health advocacy groups such as the AmericanDietetic Association, the American Heart Association, and theArthritis Foundation all advise that Americans should consumemore seafood in order to maintain good health. Most studiesindicate that two seafood meals per week would be theideal level.

Farm-raised seafood is an incredibly nutrient dense food. It is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, high in protein, and containsmany important vitamins (vitamins D, B6,B12, Niacin andbiotin) and minerals (zinc, selenium, iron). At the same time,it is low in calories, cholesterol, saturated fats, and sodium.

Enjoy some safe, sustainable, and satisfying U.S. farm-raisedseafood today.

National Marine FisheriesService VoluntaryInspection System

In addition to the mandatory programs, theNational Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA) provides avoluntary fee for service programthrough the National Marine FisheriesService (NMFS). This program providesvessel and plant sanitary inspection,

product inspection, grading, certification,label review, laboratory analysis and

testing. Certain products may be eligible forstamping with official marks such as the U.S. Grade A,

Lot Inspection, or Processed under Federal Inspection (PUFI).

All of these programshelp to ensure thatU.S. farm-raised fishand shellfish are safeand should be aregular part of ahealthy diet.

Aquaculture FeedsAquaculture feeds are regulated under the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration as well as State Departments of Agriculture andthe American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).The approval and use of any drug or medication is regulated bythe federal government. The FDA routinely collects andanalyzes samples of feeds and fish to help ensure that unsafelevels of any compounds used in animal production do notappear in the marketplace.

Scientists and the U.S. fish farming industry are workingactively to develop sustainable feeds that improve feedconversion rates, replace fishmeal with alternative sources ofprotein, and minimize waste production. Soybean farmers inAmerica’s Heartland play a major part in this effort.

More information is available at:

http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm252593.htm

FDA HACCP MANAGEMENT SystemThe Food and Drug Administration operates a mandatory HazardAnalysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program for seafoodproducts. The HACCP system is a proactive system based onidentifying and preventing hazards that could cause foodborneillnesses rather than a conventional reactive inspection systemrelying on spot checks. HACCP requires that a foodestablishment analyzes its production methods in a rational,scientific manner in order to identify critical control points,establish critical limits, and monitoring procedures.

The principles of HACCP were pioneered by the PillsburyCompany in cooperation with NASA to help ensure that food forthe United States space program approached a 100% safetylevel. In 1997, the FDA initiated a mandatory HACCP programfor seafood to increase the margin of safety and reduce seafoodrelated illnesses to the lowest possible levels.

HACCP has several additional benefits over conventionalinspection systems. It clearly recognizes the foodestablishment as the final party responsible for food safety andallows the regulatory agency to more precisely determine thefood establishment’s level of compliance over time. HACCPrecords kept by the food establishment may be reviewed at anytime without prior notice, while traditional inspection systemscan only determine conditions at the time of inspection andproduce a “snapshot” of compliance.

The federal program issupplemented by stateand local licensingprograms. Inspectorscheck physical facilities tohelp ensure that theymeet all the requirementsof HACCP and adhere tosafe food sanitation andprocessing standards.Those programs relyheavily on theimplementation of HACCPprinciples and regularinspection.

NATIONAL AQUACULTUREASSOCIATION

PO Box 12759

Tallahassee, FL 32317

Telephone: 850.216.2400 Fax: 850.216.2480

E-mail: naa@thenaa.net Website: www.thenaa.net

U.S. Fish-Farming and FoodSafetyAquaculture is the production of marine and freshwaterorganisms under controlled conditions. Aquaculture or fishfarming currently supplies over 50% of all the seafood that isconsumed worldwide. Although the U.S. industry is small, itis growing to meet the needs of consumers who want healthy,wholesome, and safe seafood that is produced locally.

U.S. aquaculture production is overseen by a number offederal agencies including the Department of Agriculture(USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), theDepartment of the Interior, the Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Federal programs are supplemented by extensive state andlocal programs. Each of these agencies and programs has afood safety component.

Food safety is strictly regulated through every phase of thefarming process from initial breeding to harvest. In theUnited States, very few drugs have been approved for usewith aquatic animals. Before a drug is approved, it must beshown that it will not harm the environment or publichealth. Antibiotics and hormones may not be used toimprove growth rates. This is not the case in many othercountries where a wide range of drugs is used.