June 14/Washington/NOAA and FDA -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are taking additional steps to enhance inspection measures designed to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico reaching America’s tables is safe to eat.
The federal government, in conjunction with Gulf state regulatory agencies, is playing an active role in ensuring the safety of seafood harvested from federal and state waters. The federal government, led by FDA and NOAA, is taking a multi-pronged approach to ensure that seafood from Gulf waters is not contaminated by oil. The strategy includes precautionary closures, increased seafood testing inspections and a re-opening protocol. A summary of the FDA-NOAA plan is available at http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/posted/2931/NOAA_FDA_Surveillance_Plan_6_2_14_CLEARED_658415.658415.pdf.