Catfish Industry Continues To Comply With FDA Directives For Dioxin Testing.BELZONI, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 1997-- Industry-Wide Catfish Testing Program Assures Product Quality and Safety The U.S. farm-raised catfish The U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish Industry began in the early 1960s in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) quickly became the major catfish grown as it was hardy and easily spawned in earthen ponds. industry continued today to conduct a comprehensive catfish sampling and testing program at the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ), after microscopic traces of dioxin dioxin Aromatic compound, any of a group of contaminants produced in making herbicides (e.g., Agent Orange), disinfectants, and other agents. Their basic chemical structure consists of two benzene rings connected by a pair of oxygen atoms; when substituents on the rings are , an industrial byproduct by·prod·uct or by-prod·uct n. 1. Something produced in the making of something else. 2. A secondary result; a side effect. Noun 1. , were found in some soybean soybean, soya bean, or soy pea, leguminous plant (Glycine max, G. soja, or Soja max) of the family Leguminosae (pulse family), native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Asia, where it has been meal used in catfish and poultry feed. An FDA directive issued today states that beginning July 20 at midnight, any catfish that may have been given the feed in question not be processed or shipped until it has been tested and proven to be within government guidelines. In June, during an investigation covering the overall food supply, trace amounts of dioxin were found in two sources of soybean meal used in catfish and poultry feed. The source of the dioxin was isolated, and all feed manufactured with this ingredient was eliminated from the catfish food chain. Since that time, the farm-raised catfish industry and state regulatory officials have been working with FDA to determine and implement an appropriate catfish sampling and dioxin testing program. The FDA has maintained throughout its investigation that consumers should not hesitate to consume catfish they have at home or purchase on the retail market. "FDA established from the start that farm-raised catfish is safe to eat," says Bill Allen, president of The Catfish Institute. "Now, we're working with them to test and evaluate dioxin levels in catfish as a precautionary measure." The multi-state testing program, which began on July 15, includes catfish from Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi and is being funded by The Catfish Institute (TCI (Trustworthy Computing Initiative) An umbrella term from Microsoft for its efforts to improve security in Windows. TCI was announced in 2002 after viruses such as Code Red and Nimda had succeeded in attacking numerous Windows computers. ), an association of catfish farmers, processors and feed manufacturers. Catfish samples are being collected by state authorities using FDA- approved procedures, and are being sent to analytical laboratories for testing. "We're eager to assure consumers of the continued quality and safety of U.S. farm-raised catfish," says Allen. "And we're hoping for minimal disruption to our business during this testing process." Based in Belzoni, Mississippi
Belzoni (pronounced Bell-zone-uh) is a city in Humphreys County, Mississippi, in the Mississippi Delta region. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. , TCI was founded in 1986 to raise consumer awareness of the positive qualities of genuine U.S. farm-raised catfish. For more information, contact: The Catfish Institute Mr. Bill Allen, President 601/247-4913 or Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Dr. Robert McCarty Director, Bureau of Plant Industry 601/325-3390 CONTACT: The Catfish Institute, Belzoni Bill Allen, 601/247-4913 |
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