Only a catfish can have that nameSea Grant and AgCenter help Louisianaindustry comply with new regulations

摘要

Catfish is one of the iconic seafood products of Louisiana, from wild-caught to farm-raised. Historically, as with other seafood products, catfish processing had been regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, in 2008, Congress movedjurisdiction over catfish to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service. In late fall 2015, USDA/FSIS published new regulations affecting processors of catfish and other species in the order Siluriformes, which includes catfish, swai, pangasius, basa and others. This rule mandated that all catfish processors had to comply with the USDA/FSIS inspection program as of March 2016. Along with imported Siluriformes fish, Louisiana farm-raised and wild-caught catfish processors were affected by the rule. This was the first time regulation of seafood products moved from the FDA to USDA/FSIS. Processors had to comply with facility standards and inspection hours and had to document their food safety programs.