WLOX-TV Biloxi
Mississippi Senator introduces ‘Safer Shrimp Imports Act’
"It would give American consumers greater confidence that the imported shrimp they're eating isn't contaminated."
By WLOX Staff
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Cindy Hyde-Smith, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, introduced legislation she believes will ensure the quality of imported shrimp.
The Safer Shrimp Imports Act would require overseas shrimp facility inspections and foreign countries wishing to export shrimp to the United States to meet food safety inspection standards equivalent to those of U.S. shrimp producers.
It would also require regular reporting by the FDA to Congress.
“The FDA has been lackadaisical about seafood inspection for far too long, contributing to a silent public health crisis in America,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith.
The Republican senator said the legislation is important because 90% of Americans’ shrimp consumption comes from foreign sources.
Senate Bill 667 would give people confidence that the imported shrimp they’re eating isn’t contaminated, according to Sen. Hyde-Smith.
The American Shrimp Processors Association is supporting the Safer Shrimp Imports Act.
According to Sen. Hyde-Smith, the legislation “will help level the playing field for American shrimpers who suffer because foreign governments dump their subsidized and tainted shrimp on the U.S. market.”
Sen. Hyde-Smith also said the Safer Shrimp Imports Act aligns with the President’s Make American Healthy Again goals to eliminate harmful chemicals in the food supply.