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Monday, July 23, 2007 Analysis: Al Gore’s Dinner and Problems with Boycotts
This story also appears in today's Fish Wrap service.
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Al Gore's appetite was the subject of recent controversy when he was accused of scarfing down Chilean sea bass at his daughter's Beverly Hills wedding rehearsal dinner. Chilean sea bass, officially named Patagonian toothfish, is heavily overfished in Antarctic waters. For Gore, the toothfish was also a public relations nightmare. First came the accusations of hypocrisy and eco-obliviousness, including my own at the Shifting Baselines blog, and then rumors that the Gore family had not actually eaten the fish, and then the final sigh of relief from Gore supporters when the Daily Telegraph retracted their blow and reported the Chilean sea bass actually was "caught and documented in compliance with the Marine Stewardship Council." One thing is certain: Gore's character assassination was fueled by confusion rampant in today's global seafood market. "We did not co-evolve with fish they way we co-evolved with mammals," says Daniel Pauly at the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre. "Therefore, we cannot wrap our minds around fish or our hearts around them either." Perhaps for this reason, our primary way of conserving fisheries over the last decade has been through our stomachs. Expensive campaigns From 1999 to 2004, the Seafood Choices Alliance alone has invested $37 million in seafood consumer awareness campaigns, partially out of exasperation with the government's failure to regulate fisheries or seafood imports. These campaigns aim to educate consumers about fisheries issues and also to empower them to make a difference in the market. Instead, the web of complex messages is growing, along with the number of confused consumers. The 2007 "Seafood Watch" wallet card from Monterey Bay Aquarium lists tuna 12 different times (i.e., species, method of fishing, country) between the three columns of best choices, good alternatives, and avoid. But most tuna consumers are not aware that there are nine tuna species and often do not know the meaning of "troll-caught." These complexities overwhelm the average tuna shopper. Similarly, the aim of Canada's Living Ocean Society's "Farmed and Dangerous" campaign is to convince consumers not to eat farmed salmon. But studies from the U.S. have shown as much as three-quarters of the "wild" salmon sampled were actually farmed. Toothfish. Sea bass. Confused? But no fish exhibits the mass confusion possible in today's global seafood market better than the Patagonian toothfish, renamed Chilean sea bass by the Los Angeles fish merchant who discovered its market potential in North America. Sales of Chilean sea bass increased through the 1980s as word spread that the fish flesh was virtually indestructible and could take on any flavor. In the 1990s Chilean sea bass became a best seller and chefs simply could not get enough of the oily fish. By the late 1990s, many stocks of toothfish had collapsed. The Convention of Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources set harvest levels but, in 1999, an estimated 80 percent of Patagonian toothfish sold were illegally caught. That same year, Whole Foods, an eco-friendly grocery chain in the U.S., discontinued Chilean sea bass. (The chain thought it would pre-empt government action but the government did not act.) Meanwhile, fishing boats began targeting Antarctic toothfish, a relative of Patagonian toothfish, and sold it as Chilean sea bass, too. In 2001, U.S. law enforcers caught several toothfish pirates, one of whom was smuggling two ton of toothfish under a thin layer of crayfish. That same year, Bon Appétit magazine named Chilean sea bass the "Dish of the Year." Less than one year later, in February 2002, the D.C.-based National Environmental Trust (NET) launched the "Take a Pass on Chilean Sea Bass" campaign, which encouraged a boycott of the fish. The government mustered its energy to adopt NET's request that toothfish landings had legitimate paperwork (though they denied their appeal to get rid of the ambiguous title "frozen fish fillet," under which many illegal toothfish enter the U.S.). Wal-Mart, ever known for its social conscience, discontinued Chilean sea bass from its shelves in 2003. Mixed messages In 2006, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified 4.000 tons of Patagonian toothfish off the South Georgian Islands, Antarctica. In October 2006 Whole Foods reintroduced the MSC-bass. In January 2007, Wal-Mart followed. Within weeks, a scientist working off Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf reported seeing pirate vessels fishing for toothfish. From "Dish of the Year" to a boycott less than one year later. From de-shelved to re-shelved and legal to illegal. From threatened to MSC-certified (yet, still threatened). Amidst the mixed and remixed messages, how can consumers or journalists covering the Gore wedding stay afloat of the toothfish crisis let alone the fisheries crisis as a whole? They cannot. And so seafood awareness campaigns risk ineffectiveness due to information complexity and overload. The Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise program continues to grow and to encourage restaurants to sell sustainable fish. The "success" of Ocean Wise is a stark contrast to Canada's 2006 refusal to sign the UN high seas trawling ban. Having all but abandoned their mandate to protect fisheries resources, national governments are content that individuals do what they can to save fisheries. At present, the complicated messages of seafood conservation efforts undermine the integrity and effectiveness of these market-based initiatives. For these programs to have a hope at obtaining their desired outcomes, seafood consumers must receive simple and accurate information followed by a clear and convincing call to act. And their actions must elicit transparent results on the water. It is possible. In 1989, Sam LaBudde went undercover, videotaped the dolphin slaughter onboard Mexican tuna vessels, and turned the footage into a news piece. Overnight, he revolutionized public sentiments toward tuna fishing and became the accidental father of new regulations and the dolphin-safe logo. But subsequent seafood consumer campaigns, as evidenced by Chilean sea bass, have had less success. – The Tyee, Vancouver, B.C. Restaurant News: Bincho is Sushi-free Zone LONDON - In Japan, the Ganko Ojisan are the keepers of the flame. They know the hottest fire is not the best.No, I have no idea what that means either. It sounds like the kind of wisdom you hear in kung-fu movies. In this case, it's from the Web site of Bincho Yakitori, a new venue that brings Japanese barbecue to London's Oxo Tower. Be warned: It's a sushi-free zone. Yakitori eateries are found throughout Japan, serving hearty amounts of meat to a mostly male clientele. They're like kebab joints, only more convivial. This is fun dining, not fine dining with big flavors and lots of beer. Bincho, which occupies a location in Oxo Tower with wonderful views of the Thames, offers a refined take on this type of cuisine. The skewers aren't much larger than toothpicks and the food is canapé-sized. This isn't somewhere for people with large appetites, which is my gender-neutral way of saying men. There are about 10 appetizers and these tend to be larger than much else on the menu. Mehikari -- fried white fish with seven spices -- comes in a generous portion, which would be great if it were less dry and more interesting. Kimchee is as good as anything I tried over two meals, which is odd because this spicy pickled-vegetable dish is Korean. Lovers of raw fish may be tempted -- and then disappointed -- by a salad of sashimi with tosaka seaweed, at 5.50 pounds ($11.20). It is very salty. The heart of the menu consists of the yakitori (grilled bird) and kushiyaki (other meats, seafood and vegetables). These options mainly cost 1.20 pounds to 2 pounds each, and you will want 10-20 if you've a large appetite. – Richard Vines in Bloomberg News: Fishermen Being Kicked Off the Waterfront ROCKLAND, Maine - As fog clouded the coast along Spruce Head Island, Bob Baines unloaded his morning’s catch at the Spruce Head Fisherman’s Co-op."This is one of the poorest springs I can remember having," he said, referring to the lack of mature lobsters, though most lobstermen expect that to turn around. But Baines said he sees the lack of access to the ocean as a longer-term problem that he and most coastal fishermen are concerned about: "There are very few properties left, and the ones that are left, fishermen cannot afford them." The fishermen’s worries were confirmed by a two-year study recently completed by the Island Institute, a group that focuses on maritime culture. It found that of Maine’s 5,300 miles of coast, only 20 are left as working waterfront to support commercial fishing. According to the institute’s Shey Conover, "For fishermen, working waterfront means more than just access to the ocean. They also need a place to store bait, for fuel, and to park -- things that are often difficult to find." In addition, certain boats require deep water access to get in and out of the harbor. These are all necessary to make fishing efficient and profitable. "Commercial fishing is certainly the character and soul of the state -- at least coastal Maine,” Conover said. “It makes it unique, a place people come to visit." People do come to visit, and many love it so much that they buy their own piece of the state. Over the past 10 years, that trend has driven the price of coastal real estate out of the reach of the average Mainer -- including groundfisherman Glen Libby, who said he would love to have his own dock. "It doesn't make sense for no one to have access to ground fish. It’s crazy," he said. The selling of the coast has transformed many quaint towns that embrace their fishing culture into stretches of waterfront properties for second-home owners. There is no better example of that than in the midcoast town of St. George. "This is where you go if you want to see what a fishing village used to look like," according to Harbormaster David Schmanska. Nearly of 65 percent of the homes in the town are owned by people who do not live there, many of whom own the wharfs. Schmanska said it has forced fishermen into making deals just so that they can access the ocean. He said, "The agreements that exist between the owners and users are tenuous, at best." An owner could decide that he or she no longer wants crews trudging through a property or pulling up docks. Another problem arises when owners of working waterfront properties die, since their land is often sold for development. But -- with public and governmental support -- some fishermen are beginning to have some success in their efforts to convince others of their industry’s importance. The lobstermen at the Spruce Head Co-op are buying the dock $950,000, getting half of the money from a state grant approved by voters last year. In St. George, fishermen have recently received word that they will receive $250,000 to expand an existing dock. Experts said they believe this approach will be the most effective way to preserve the industry. Feature: How to Eat Sushi During a Fish Scare Seafood and sushi eaters are navigating troubled waters these days. Ever since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned imports of certain farmed fish and shellfish from China last month, seafood fans have been nervous — especially the huge cohort of raw fish eaters converted to sushi and sashimi over the last two decades. And several industry veterans and watchdog groups say those worries appear to be justified. "It's really hit-or-miss," says Jeff Nitta, director of operations at Hokusai, a Beverly Hills sushi restaurant that zealously monitors the origin and quality of fish it serves. "People do need to be worried, depending on where they get their fish. There are a lot of chefs and fish market owners who are passionate about doing the right thing. But differentiating between those that are and those that aren't is the tough part." The sushi lover can take some solace from the fact that the FDA's import alert said that the low levels of carcinogens it discovered posed no imminent threat to public health. But the FDA also admits that it doesn't know how much of the type of Chinese fish it has now banned has already reached the market . The agency only inspects about 2% of all seafood at the border. Just as unsettling, the U.S. doesn't require fish to carry country of origin labeling — which in any case is unreliable, industry experts say, because it is easy to fabricate. And while China — which accounts for some 70% of global farmed fish production — was the target of the alert, other Asian nations have also been cited in the recent past. With so much fish from the region in circulation, with import regulations so easy to skirt, and with the federal government's inspection system so permeable, consumers must be especially vigilant when shopping at the market and ordering at seafood restaurants now, notwithstanding the ban. "The fish distribution system is so opaque and complicated that even many fishmongers and sushi chefs have no idea where their fish comes from," says Trevor Corson, author of The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi from Samurai to Supermarket. "They just trust their guy who trusts his guy who trusts his guy. Sometimes it leads to good quality fish being served, but other times fish gets to the restaurant and no one has any idea where it was caught." To assess the rest of the fish that's on the market, here's what the experts advise: 1. Educate yourself, and ask lots of questions 2. Don't let your eyes be your only guide. Not so. Experts warn that some foreign processors have been known to spray fish headed for the U.S. with carbon dioxide to enhance the color or preserve its shelf life. Reading articles, studying pictures of fresh cuts of fish and then sitting at the bar and sampling them under the tutelage of sushi chefs are the best ways to learn about quality. It turns out that education has its privileges. In many cases, well-informed diners get VIP treatment from sushi chefs. "If they sense that you want to learn or already know what you're talking about, they will respect you more and serve you better-quality fish because they know you'll appreciate it," says Nick Sakagami, president of Trident Marketing, one of the nation's biggest distributors of fresh tuna. 3. Be prepared to pay more to insure quality and safety. Larger-scale reform has to take place, however, in order to give consumers guidance and peace of mind. A number of private efforts are under way. For example, researchers at Japan's Kinki University have developed technology to farm-raise bluefin tuna in a healthy, sustainable environment. All fish sold from the University's farm comes with a certificate of origin, diet and harvesting method. Meanwhile, the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent global nonprofit organization based in London, sends teams to investigate fisheries to make sure their harvesting methods are sustainable and contaminant-free. The Council then certifies the companies and their products. But the days of plenteous and easygoing sushi-gorging likely are history. – Time.com <<<•>>> Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Fake “Grouper” Still Finding Way to Plates Can you tell whether that grouper on your plate is the real thing?Diners often don't realize they're paying top dollar for a lesser whitefish, because popular grouper preparations - blackening, frying - can hide the original flavor. And some restaurants know that. In the past year and a half, about 20 restaurants in Central Florida have been fined by the state for passing off less-expensive fish - such as the bottom-feeding Asian catfish - as grouper. Despite widespread media reports and a statewide crackdown, mislabeled grouper continues to bedevil the region's restaurants and seafood suppliers, while threatening the integrity of a Florida culinary icon and the $25 million state grouper-fishing industry. And it's important for consumers to trust they are getting what they ordered. New Web site, higher fines To keep restaurants honest, the state is reaching out to consumers and increasing fines for violators. This month, the state launched a Web site, FL-Seafood.com, to help consumers determine whether the grouper they are buying is real. The site offers photos and descriptions of a typical grouper fillet -- usually thick with a firm texture. It also has guidelines on what consumers can expect to pay for the fish at restaurants: Sandwich prices usually range from $8 to $16. Further, state regulators recently doubled the minimum fine for menu cheats. Restaurants misrepresenting grouper or any other food item now risk paying a $500 fine, up from $250. For places willing to circumvent the rules to save money, a number of cheaper, farmed whitefish are available, including Asian catfish, such as the basa. Reed said basa fillets typically sell for a fraction of the price for grouper fillets, which often run more than $11 a pound. Ruining the reputation Selling fake grouper, and the publicity surrounding it, has hurt eateries that play by the rules, said Bryan John, manager of Grouper & Chips, which recently opened in Orlando's Baldwin Park neighborhood. To guarantee authenticity of its fish, Grouper & Chips, which also operates two Naples locations, buys its product fresh, keeps invoices on site and works only with trusted suppliers. John said it would be suicide if the restaurant tried to pass off a less-expensive fish as grouper. Seth Miller, operating partner for FishBones in Lake Mary and MoonFish on Sand Lake Road, said his restaurants follow certain guidelines to bring high-quality grouper to customers' plates. They buy only from long-standing, trusted suppliers and pay "top dollar" for a specific species: black grouper. Miller says his restaurants make sure the state inspects their suppliers on a regular basis and that the suppliers purchase whole grouper instead of fillets. "We take it very seriously," Miller said. MoonFish, FishBones and Grouper & Chips have no record of selling fake grouper, according to state records made available to the Sentinel. Not always eateries' fault Restaurants that are fined may not always be the culprits. State regulators say suppliers and distributors -- in the U.S. and Asia -- have been known to box up catfish and call it grouper. "That's a problem," said Bob Jones, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association, which represents fisheries, suppliers and distributors. "Everybody loses when somebody cheats," he said. – Orlando Sentinel News: Benefits of Eating Seafood Far Outweigh Risks WASHINGTON – To get the fish story straight, three independent, peer-reviewed studies from authorities including the Harvard School of Public Health and Institute of Medicine have come out in the last year declaring that the benefits of eating seafood – which can include reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease – far outweigh any minimal risk. Updated research shows that advice to eat less fish during pregnancy could be harmful, instead of beneficial, to baby’s development.Fish are a low-calorie source of protein, rich in vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. This impressive nutrient profile benefits not only adults, but mounting evidence shows eating fish during pregnancy contributes to babies’ health as well. A recent study published in The Lancet journal compared nearly 12,000 pregnant women and found that children whose mothers ate more than 12 ounces of seafood per week during pregnancy exhibited stronger motor, communication, and social skills than children of mothers who ate little or no seafood. “We have found that when women had low levels of fish consumption, the outcome was exactly the opposite of what advisories assume,” said lead researcher Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln of the U.S. National Institute of Health. “While well-intended, certain advice appears to have the consequence of causing harm in certain developmental domains.” For reasons including confusion and misinformation, Americans are not eating enough seafood. Only 20 percent of adults and 18 percent of pregnant women are following recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPyramid, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association to include at least two weekly servings of fish in their diets. National Fisheries Institute (NFI) president John Connelly said, “We encourage organizations that create advisories to take into account the latest scientific evidence that women should be encouraged to eat a variety of fish at least twice a week.” NFI works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and international governments to supply Americans with healthy and sustainable sources of seafood. – American Chronicle High Mercury Levels Found in One-Fourth of Adults One-quarter of adult New Yorkers, roughly 1.4 million people, have elevated levels of mercury in their blood, mainly from eating certain fish, according to survey results released yesterday by the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.The survey, part of a comprehensive study of the health of city residents, found that blood mercury levels were highest among Asians, women and higher-income New Yorkers. The elevated mercury levels that were found pose little, if any, health risk for adults, but may increase the risk of neurological damage in fetuses and infants whose mothers pass on the mercury through their bloodstreams during pregnancy or through breast milk. “These are not risks that are significant at all or existent for adults,” said Daniel Kass, the assistant commissioner for environmental surveillance and policy at the Health Department. “These are really issues for the developing brain and nervous system.” Mercury is released into the atmosphere largely by coal-fired power plants and by solid-waste incinerators. In the form of methylmercury, it passes into lakes and rivers, where it is absorbed by fish and shellfish. For years, the State Department of Health has issued warnings about eating fish caught in the Hudson River, because of mercury and other contaminants. The survey, conducted among 1,811 adults in 2004, found that one-quarter of women ages 20 to 49 had a blood mercury level at or above five micrograms per liter, while nearly half of Asian women had a blood mercury level at that threshold. The department’s report linked the higher mercury levels among Asians to eating more fish, finding that foreign-born Chinese New Yorkers eat an average of three fish meals a week, compared with about one a week among New Yorkers over all. About one-quarter of Chinese New Yorkers eat fish five or more times a week, the study found, compared with fewer than one in 15 over all. The report attributed elevated mercury levels among higher-income New Yorkers to possibly eating more expensive varieties, like swordfish or sushi-grade tuna, that are higher in mercury. Health officials emphasized that fish was still important to a healthy diet and said that the elevated levels should not pose much risk to most adults. Still, officials said that young children and pregnant and breast-feeding women should avoid high-mercury species like Chilean sea bass, orange roughy and tilefish, while eating limited quantities of low-mercury fish. In a brochure called Eat Fish, Choose Wisely, the department suggests this group eat no more than two six-ounce servings a week of low-mercury varieties like cod, mullet, scallops and canned light tuna, and no more than five such servings of very-low-mercury fish like clams, shrimp, tilapia and salmon. The brochure, in English, Spanish and Chinese, is available through the 311 telephone line. – The New York Times The New Wal-Mart Effect: Cleaner Thai Shrimp Farms Amid the fishing villages of Chanthaburi Province, bracketed by the Gulf of Thailand and the Khao Soi Dao mountains, the inherently messy trade of shrimp farming is undergoing an environmental overhaul spearheaded by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The destruction of mangrove swamps and the pollution of natural waterways with waste from shrimp ponds has long drawn the ire of environmentalists, but in the past two years, Rubicon Resources LLC, a Los Angeles-based supplier of farmed shrimp to Wal-Mart, has bought and upgraded roughly 150 Thai shrimp farms. Among Rubicon's changes: increasing the testing and documentation of what is in its ponds, planting mangrove elsewhere to make up for the trees destroyed by its farms and standardizing treatment of the water discharged from its ponds. Rubicon is pushing to meet a year-end deadline that all phases of shrimp production adhere to environmental and social standards backed by Wal-Mart, Red Lobster operator Darden Restaurants Inc. and other big buyers. The U.S.-based industry group that drafted the standards, the Global Aquaculture Alliance, plans to unveil similar guidelines this year for farming of tilapia and catfish, with standards for salmon following later. Wal-Mart pledges to endorse those, too, and to require compliance from its suppliers. But the new standards come with controversy. An estimated 80% of Thai shrimp farms -- most of them small operations run by families living on-site -- either lack the resources to make necessary upgrades or balk at the certification fees as costs they likely won't recover. That could widen the gap between the haves and have-nots in Thai shrimp farming and world aquaculture as a whole, providing a greater advantage to large, well-capitalized suppliers like Rubicon. Shrimp is the largest seafood crop imported to the U.S., totaling 590,299 metric tons last year. And Thailand, home to one of Asia's most advanced aquaculture industries, is the largest exporter of shrimp to the U.S. -- $1.28 billion worth annually. Aquaculture is gaining importance as wild fish populations dwindle. If current consumption rates continue, a 2006 scientific study predicted, all wild aquatic species currently harvested for food will fall below a tenth of their largest historic population by 2050. Roughly half of the seafood consumed globally is already farm-raised, and as that expands, Wal-Mart and others are seeking to reduce the environmental problems it often leaves in its wake. The changes afoot in the Thai shrimp ponds reflect the world-spanning, industry-rattling reach of Wal-Mart's push for environmental sustainability. The Bentonville, Ark., retailer has prodded its suppliers to cut their packaging and pare their reliance on nonrenewable fuels. It has relentlessly promoted long-lasting but slow-selling compact-fluorescent light bulbs. It is the world's largest buyer of organic cotton, purchasing more than 10 million pounds a year. And it has pledged to eventually buy its wild-caught fish only from fisheries certified as environmentally sustainable. Wal-Mart first threw its weight behind the aquaculture alliance's shrimp-farming standards in 2005, announcing that by the end of this year it would buy all its shrimp from farms certified as meeting the standards. Complying with the mandate isn't easy. Achieving certification takes three to six months on average, and rarely does a farm pass without needing to shore up aspects of its operations. Other requirements: Farmers must replace any mangroves cleared for their ponds by planting three times as many of the trees elsewhere. Applying antibiotics to the shrimp is prohibited because the drugs can seep out of the ponds and weaken the immune systems of wild species. The farms must pay workers the prevailing local wage. Many small farmers in Thailand have disregarded the aquaculture alliance's standards, which, like the antibiotics ban, they say duplicate those already established by the Thai Department of Fisheries' Code of Conduct for aquaculture farms as well as standards imposed by European buyers. And some Thai farmers see little benefit in paying inspection fees -- amounting to a fraction of a penny per pound of shrimp produced -- or upgrading facilities where necessary because Wal-Mart won't reimburse them for their costs nor pay a premium for certified shrimp. Wal-Mart views those costs as the industry's responsibility. Others see the standards fueling a continuing consolidation of the industry. Wal-Mart prefers to buy from fewer, stronger suppliers with control over all phases of production. Rubicon, for example, owns 14 seafood-processing plants, roughly 150 farms and importing and exporting operations. "Short term, [the costs of meeting the standards] are onerous," says Brian Wynn, Rubicon's president and chief executive. "Long term, they are beneficial because they set up barriers to entry to nonintegrated companies." - The Wall Street Journal <<<•>>> Wednesday, July 25, 2007 News: Legislation to Label CO-blasted Meat WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of a high-profile congressional hearing on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) failure to protect the nation’s food supply, two key Members of Congress introduced legislation that would require that meat that is blasted with carbon monoxide (CO) be labeled as such so consumers are not deceived into thinking spoiled foods are actually fresh.“Blasting seafood, poultry and meat with carbon monoxide can make meat that has spoiled appear to be fresh, red and wholesome when, in reality it has spoiled,” said Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI). “This practice of disguising meat’s freshness exposes consumers to serious health hazards and food borne illnesses.” “Americans shouldn’t have to wonder whether or not their families are going to get sick at summer barbeques and cookouts from fresh-looking meat and fish that has actually turned bad. Carbon monoxide blasting is solely used to mislead consumers. The meat looks fresh and there is no notice on the package that tells consumers they shouldn’t trust their eyes,” said Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-MA). The bill, the “Carbon Monoxide Treated Meat Safe Handling, Labeling, and Consumer Protection Act,” would require that fresh meat, seafood and poultry that has been packaged with carbon monoxide be labeled to inform consumers that the meat has been treated with CO, and that consumers should not use color as an indicator of freshness. “While the European Union has banned the use of carbon monoxide because of its potential to ‘mask the visual evidence of spoilage,’ the FDA made a contrary decision last year without any formal evaluation, solicitation of public comments or independent investigation of the risks associated with the practice. Our legislation provides the necessary warning so consumers can make healthy choices,” Markey added. Stupak, who chairs the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, said that his recent hearing into the FDA’s capacity to protect the nation’s food supply had helped demonstrate the danger of treating meat with carbon monoxide. “Our subcommittee investigators discovered large numbers of seafood imports, from China and Vietnam, arriving in airtight packages containing carbon monoxide,” Stupak said. “When tested, fully 20 percent had to be refused because of contamination or decomposition. In other words, this was rotten seafood made to look fresh with the use of carbon monoxide. The problem of CO treated meat is by no means limited to imported food. Stupak noted that the day before his Subcommittee’s hearing, Safeway Foods had announced that it would stop carrying carbon monoxide treated meat products. “I am pleased Safeway decided to stop using carbon monoxide in meat packaging and I hope other companies will follow Safeway’s lead,” Stupak noted. “However, it concerns me that the Food and Drug Administration continues to regard this deceptive practice as safe. At minimum, consumers need know if the meat they are buying is has been treated with carbon monoxide so they may make informed decisions.” Last year, Stupak repeatedly urged the FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services to rescind their ruling that treating meat with carbon monoxide is “Generally Regarded as Safe.” – American Chronicle News: FDA to Close 7 of 13 Laboratories WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FDA is planning a decisive response to the recent worries about tainted foodstuffs: It's going to get rid of seven of the current thirteen FDA laboratories, including the only one that specializes in detecting radioactive elements in food. Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach defends the move as a way to bring the FDA laboratories into the 21st century.Perhaps, but surely this particular announcement was very badly timed, given news like this: Even when products are flagged by the FDA, importers have learned to manipulate the system, investigators said. For example, the FDA relies on results obtained from private labs, but those labs produce results driven by financial rather than scientific concerns, investigators told the subcommittee. Investigative counsel Kevin Barstow said he was told by an unnamed FDA deputy lab director that "none of the test results he's seen are completely accurate." "The words he used were 'not good' and 'spooky,'" Barstow said. Importers also can reduce the level of scrutiny by having their products test negative five consecutive times, according to the investigators. Since some large fish, including tuna, can be flagged for high mercury levels, importers will arrange to have five lots of smaller fish -- generally younger and with comparatively less mercury -- tested to obtain an all-clear from the FDA. Once the monitoring decreases, the importers can then resume bringing in larger fish that otherwise might not pass muster, the investigators said. "You're saying the importers know how to maneuver around the FDA?" asked Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa. "Yes," said committee senior investigator David Nelson. Some potentially problematic seafood imports are being steered to enter the country in Las Vegas to avoid the scrutiny they might receive in San Francisco and other West Coast seaports, according to Nelson and other investigators. The problems go beyond food. In Puerto Rico, investigators learned importers were getting around the FDA's blocking of imports of Chinese-made toothpaste made with an antifreeze ingredient by co-packaging them with toothbrushes. Examples of the tainted toothpaste included a Crest knockoff called "Crust," he added. How many games can you count so far? I see at least two, the first one being the media game and the second one the game the importers play. There is at least one more game in all this, the game of FDA bonuses: The FDA's granting of bonuses, some worth tens of thousands of dollars, also came into question Tuesday. In 2002, the agency gave out just $3.2 million in bonuses worth $5,000 or more. That grew to $9.5 million last year - roughly the same as the additional money the agency is dedicating to food safety. And what is the meta-game behind all these games playing with the food we eat and feed our children? My bet would be the Republican game of making sure that the government can't work efficiently. – American Prospect Book Feature: Fish Forever Summer seafood is not unlike summer land food. It's bountiful and at its peak. Locally, there's much to choose from: anchovies, calamari, halibut, sablefish, sardines, shrimp and, especially, white sea bass in addition to the salmon we focus on so intently.Although the actual fishing season for white sea bass runs June to March, the most plentiful, natural season - and the time at which they're priced best - is from now through September. It's a stunning white- and firm-fleshed fish, caught at between 8 to 20 pounds; fillets can come large and almost 2 inches thick. When it's locally landed, doesn't travel far, and is handled well after catch, it's delectable. White sea bass was overfished in West Coast waters from the mid-20th century through the 1980s, until better management and cleaner habitat brought it back. It is now plentiful again, and sustainable. I culled this information from Paul Johnson's wonderful just-released book, Fish Forever: The Definitive Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Preparing Healthy, Delicious and Environmentally Sustainable Seafood (John Wiley and Sons, $34.95). Johnson, founder and co-owner of Monterey Fish Market, is one of the foremost seafood thinkers, writers and providers in the Bay Area. More than 20 years ago, he was a cook at Chez Panisse, but quickly switched to a vendor when steady, restaurant-quality seafood proved scarce. Monterey Fish Market is now a largely wholesale market on the Embarcadero in San Francisco supplying high-end restaurants, with a retail satellite in Berkeley. Sustainability, quality linked "There's a connection between sustainability and quality. I didn't realize it, but I was going toward sustainability," Johnson says about the days when he first started to look for good seafood. "Originally I wanted a book about choosing and cooking seafood and interspersing it with stories from Fish Alley," he says. At the time, Fish Alley, on the San Francisco docks, was peopled by small family boats and artisanal fishermen who sold their wares. Yet within 10 years, he had no Fish Alley stories to tell. The culture and people had disappeared. The moment of reckoning happened when one of his fisherman friends announced, "I can't make it on the water any more." The man was taking a job as a janitor at an elementary school. "There's nobody who makes their living exclusively on fishing. Those guys are gone," Johnson says. The book now had another story to tell. "Health and sustainability became a bigger part of it," he says. By health, Johnson means health of the ocean, economic health of the fishermen and sustainability of their livelihoods. The process of sourcing good seafood and writing the book has turned Johnson into an advocate for saving the oceans and wild seafood. Two months ago, he went to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress as part of the Save the Wild Salmon campaign for comprehensive legislation to protect the salmon fishery. In the nearly 25 years since Johnson has been involved in fishing, Americans have leapt to third place in per capita consumption of seafood behind China and Japan, says Johnson. So as not to contribute to over-demand, Johnson says, Americans need to change some eating habits. "We eat 10-ounce chunks of seafood; we should eat four and five ounces," he says, and broaden our seafood choices. As it does for white sea bass, Fish Forever lists 90 fish and summarizes their status, season and sustainability as only someone who has handled them for 20 years can. Johnson's guide to buying and handling wild fish is just the thing for those who love wild seafood and also want to protect the resource. Judging by the quality of the local, artisanally caught, wild white sea bass that we picked up and used to test our recipes, it is worthwhile to protect the wild resource. Not all local retailers are aware of the plentiful return of white sea bass. A great deal of it is being shipped to East Coast markets. If it's not available, ask your fishmonger to order it. – San Francisco Chronicle Wary Diners Ask: Is Fish from China? NEW YORK - A few weeks ago, restaurateur Martin Sheridan discovered his famed "hot and spicy" shrimp came from China. The owner of the Ear Inn, the second-oldest tavern in New York, quickly asked his fish purveyor to "get them from anywhere but China." Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that some Chinese seafood tested positive for banned substances. Because of those findings, which led the FDA to restrict certain seafood from China, some Americans are beginning to look more closely at ocean selections in restaurants – from Hayes Street Grill in San Francisco to Cucina D'Angelo in Boca Raton, Fla., to the Ear Inn in New York. Diners are asking: Where did the tilapia special come from? Who caught the all-you-can-eat shrimp? Is the salmon farm-raised or wild? It's too early to know if Americans will permanently change their eating patterns because of concerns about Chinese seafood. But fisheries experts worry that more Americans will opt for barbecued beef or chicken instead of barbecued salmon. This could reverse the trend of rising seafood consumption, up 11 percent since 2001. The average American now consumes 16.5 pounds of seafood per year, up from 14.8 pounds six years ago. Shrimp is the top choice, representing almost a quarter of the seafood that Americans eat. And these days, most of America's seafood arrives from foreign shores. According to the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood trade organization, 75 to 80 percent of fish is imported. In addition, some 40 percent of all seafood comes from domestic and overseas fish farms. It's those fish farms, particularly in China, that are raising the most eyebrows. Late last month, the FDA announced that Chinese-farmed eel, dace, basa, catfish, and shrimp must be tested and shown to be residue-free before they are allowed in the United States. The FDA found that samples of those fish had unacceptable levels of antibiotics, as well as drugs that are banned in the U.S. And so now, awareness at local restaurants is growing – and fisheries experts worry that consumers are having more doubts about finned species. The contamination concern "definitely adds to the confusion since we are so globally dependent on the seafood supply and don't know the quality," says Usha Varanasi, science and research director for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Her organization is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She adds, "It's important to identify the sources of fish and make sure we have good data and easily accessible information." That, however, has been a highly controversial issue. Consumer advocates were successful at getting country-of-origin labeling for fish into the last farm bill. But it only applies to large grocery stores. "The problem is that companies that import seafood don't want consumers to know where their seafood comes from," says Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, a consumer advocacy organization in Washington. "Most of the big seafood chains are almost entirely serving imported seafood." Catfish and politics Just back from a trip to China, seafood importer Matt Fass, president of Maritime Products International in Newport News, Va., says the issues surrounding safe-to-eat fish have a heavy dose of politics in them. For example, he blames the domestic catfish lobby for trying to stifle competition. "The issue is not necessarily health and safety," he maintains. "I know not everything is perfect in China, but we know what a great job they are trying to do." No doubt for consumers, much of this is confusing. Mark Wolfe, a resident and frequent restaurant patron in the nation's capital, says he never considered the lineage of the piscine course. "I'm thinking about it now," he says. "You know that farm-raised salmon is questionable. Now, what are we supposed to do?" That type of confusion is causing diners to avoid the ocean side of the menu at Cucina D'Angelo in Boca Raton, reports chef Angelo Morenilli. Patrons are not ordering as many shrimp dishes because of concerns about Chinese seafood, he says. "The big news has stuck in their minds, and now they ask where the fish came from," Mr. Morenilli adds. Over in San Francisco, Susan Nagy says she's horrified at how many times she and her husband may have eaten shrimp from China. (Only 7 percent of shrimp sold in the US is imported from China.) "Now, I have to think twice before I will purchase or order it," she writes in an e-mail. "I am wary of shrimp now even if it's not from China." – Christian Science Monitor <<<•>>> Thursday, July 26, 2007 News: Report Says FDA Can't Ensure Safety OUTER BANKS, N.C. – It’s no wonder that a waft of anxiety hangs over supermarket aisles these days.Reports of melamine in pet food, cipro and malachite green in seafood, lead in toys, and diethylene glycol in toothpaste have toppled consumer confidence in the safety of imported food and other products sold in the US. And now, a congressional report confirms that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ill-equipped to assure the safety of imported food. “Preliminary findings confirm the results of the subcommittee’s April 2007 hearing that FDA has failed to adequately respond to increased imports of foreign food products,” reported David Nelson, senior investigator for the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations last week. FDA inspects about one percent of all food imports. The number of inspections is decreasing while food imports climb towards $70 billion. Nelson and other congressional investigators reviewed FDA documents, visited FDA laboratories, and interviewed staff at FDA field offices. The review found that the situation at the FDA office in San Francisco, where staffing wasn’t large enough to perform “more than a cursory review of most imports,” typified problems within the inspection system. The report described inspections of seafood imports as “especially problematic.” Interviews with FDA employees revealed that the agency was aware of the widespread use of antibiotics and fungicides in fish and shrimp farms in China for years, but only issued an alert on five types of Chinese seafood in June. The alert calls for detention of farm-raised shrimp, catfish, eel, basa, and dace until shipments prove clear of drugs and chemicals not approved for use in food in the US. However, shipments are not actually detained, but are returned to importers who arrange for testing by private laboratories. When five consecutive tests show no violations, the importer is no longer required to test the products of that exporter. Few shipments are ever tested by FDA, and the agency doesn’t set accreditation standards for private laboratories. One FDA laboratory deputy director called some private lab work “scary” and “spooky.” FDA staff said importers skirt tests for mercury and other heavy metals by sending smaller swordfish and tuna, less likely to contain mercury than large fish, for testing. After five tests show no contamination, the importer resumes importing larger fish. FDA field staff identified other problems with seafood imports. They told investigators that fish from China and Vietnam are major sources of fish with dangerous levels of histamines due to improper storage. The report cites concern over the use of carbon monoxide, a process sometimes called cold smoking, to preserve the colors of fresh fish. At the San Francisco laboratory, 20 percent of the fish imported in airtight packages containing carbon monoxide were rejected because of decomposition or histamine contamination. “In other words, this was rotten seafood made to look fresh with the use of carbon monoxide,” explained subcommittee chairman Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI). Within days of the congressional hearing, Stupak introduced legislation requiring seafood, meat, and poultry treated with carbon monoxide to be labeled to warn consumers that color is not a true indicator of freshness. The report found that the FDA has no plan to increase its import inspection staff, and no plan to require other countries to meet US regulatory standards, as proposed by Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC) in the Foreign Seafood Safety Act introduced last week. Rather, FDA plans to close seven of its laboratories. “We confirmed that FDA’s ill-conceived decision to close seven of its 13 laboratories would likely expose Americans to even more danger from unsafe food, particularly imports,” said Stupak. On the day following the hearing, President George Bush appointed the Import Safety Working Group, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, to develop steps to improve the safety of imported food. The panel will issue a report in October. – Outer Banks (North Carolina) Sentinel Feature: Ahhhh, Seafood on a Paper Plate NEW YORK - Many East End restaurants are designed to appeal to the city sensibilities of summer residents, but a delightful handful, owned and operated by year-round residents, are firmly rooted in their shore side locales.The North Fork Table and Inn (57225 Main Road, Southold, 631-765-0177), is owned and run by two couples, refugees from the Manhattan dining scene, who have created a restaurant that wouldn't likely exist in the city. As much as possible, their ingredients, their staff (including college students home for the summer), and their wines come from Long Island. Even the generous amount of space between the tables, and the soft taupe and gentle blue wainscot walls remind you that you're not in Manhattan anymore. It is the second summer for the husband and wife team, chef Gerry Hayden (formerly of Amuse and Aureole)and pastry chef Claudia Fleming (formerly of Gramercy Tavern), and their partners and co-owners, Mike and Mary Mars. While the menu is subject to change, this summer's offerings might include beet salad with goat cheese from nearby Catalan Dairy, raw local fluke with radish syrup, pan-roasted Peconic sea bass, and other ingredients sourced from farther afield, such as California squab with lavender glaze, and Colorado lamb chops served with local baby carrots and pea greens. And just when you think it can't get any better, there's dessert: chocolate caramel tart that's wonderfully savory, sweet, and sticky; and delightfully light passion fruit sorbet with coconut tapioca; ricotta cheese cake with wine-poached cherries; and Ms. Fleming's famous warm, fluffy doughnuts. Lunch includes some compelling sandwich options: chilled lobster salad with lemon comfit and bacon, or grilled pork belly with cheddar cheese and apples. The tasting menu is $40 for lunch, and $80 for a five-course dinner with a $30 supplement for wine pairing. Another chef/pastry-chef team, Terry Harwood and Lisa Murphy, alumni of André Balazs's Sunset Beach, who first met in Manhattan at the Union Square Cafe, are proprietors of Vine Street Cafe (41 S. Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-3210). The rustic-casual American country bistro focuses on the kind of New York summer foods we love - corn, tomatoes, scallops, and fresh salad greens - with many of the ingredients sourced from the North Fork. Other stand-outs include marinated beet salad, grilled sardines, and steak frites with a choice of meat: skirt steak, organic sirloin, filet mignon, or cote de boeuf. Desserts include chocolate gateau, pineapple tarte tatin, and seasonal fruit crisps as well as ice cream and sorbet made from scratch. Appetizers range from $7 to $14 and entrées from $23 to $34. Early birds, though, can opt for a three-course prix fixed menu from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday for $35, including one glass of wine a person. Lunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays. The Clam Bar (13595 Montauk Highway, Amagansett, 631-267-6348) is the quintessential Long Island fish shack, the kind of place you yearn for in the winter. There are a few bar stools at the counter, but most of the seating is outside on a gravel lot. It's the kind of place you can come to straight from the beach. Although they serve a pretty good lobster roll, what's really special here, as the name implies, are the clams: briny, chewy raw little necks and fried sweet clam strips (on a platter, or in a clam roll on a hot dog bun with tartar sauce, $5.50). Even better, there's juicy, chubby fried clam bellies, and when available (they often run out early), Long Island steamers ($17.50). Overall, the deep-fried items such as tuna bits (batter-dipped chunks of moist fresh tuna steak best consumed while molten hot for $9) and tender or breaded oysters, trump the grilled fish platters that some body-conscious beachcombers insist on ordering. Children tend to go for the hot dogs. There's something completely liberating about drinking beer ($5) and eating local seafood on paper plates along this stretch of Route 27 between Amagansett and Montauk that makes you forget that you'll ever have any responsibilities again. – New York Sun Food News: India's Monsoon Food Festivals KOCHI, India – Kerala hoteliers are organizing various kinds of "Monsoon Food Festivals" to boost tourism in the state.Food festivals are arranged mostly in restaurants every year, and during this three-month monsoon period, hoteliers compete in terms of unique preparations. Sunil K. Near, a chef at the Mermaid Hotel, said: "The Monsoon Dosa Festival last year received a positive response from customers, and prompted us to organize one this year also." The festival this year, offered a wide variety of rolls and grills, said Nayar. Restaurants promote items like chicken spider roll, chicken sausage roll covered with puff pastry and baked and served with garlic mayonnaise, spicy marinated masala grilled fish finger flavored, southern grilled squid with crushed coriander, tawa hariyali murgh, a boneless chicken pieces marinated with spicy green masala, grilled and served with mint chutney. Some exclusive selections include mix seafood sautéed with a typical masala, or a stuffed roomali roti and served with mint chutney and, chicken kathi rolls. Residents who are unable to travel due to the heavy rains are attracted to these food festivals. The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) recently demanded a reduction of the hike in luxury tax from 15 per cent to 7.5 per cent, and urged the State Government to declare hotels an industry. Although the Supreme Court and High Court had approved the hotel industry as a small-scale industry, the State Government was yet to accord the status. The KHRA has over 80,000 members and provide employment to nearly a million people. The KHRA is a big contributor to the money spinning tourism industry in the state. – NewKerala.com (India) News: Celebrity Crab Skippers to Wrestle Florida Gators This item also appears in today's Fish Wrap |