Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

 

Impact of Crude Oil on Seafood
FACT SHEET

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Crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors imparted by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the presence of hydrocarbons as a possible adulterant in seafood.

The public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood they are buying at this time. The Federal and State governments have strong systems in place to test and monitor seafood safety and to prohibit harvesting from affected areas, keeping oiled products out of the market.

NOAA Fisheries is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the States to ensure seafood safety. If managers determine that seafood may be affected, the next step is to assess whether seafood is tainted or contaminated to levels that could pose a risk to human health through consumption. NOAA conducts a combination of
both sensory analysis (of tissue) and chemical analysis (of water, sediment, and tissue) to determine if seafood is safe following an oil spill. The results will be made public as soon as possible.

Seafood Inspection Program

The NOAA Seafood Inspection Program has often been called upon to perform screening and training tasks following major oil spills such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska; 1996 spill in Rhode Island; 1999 spill in Coos Bay, Oregon; and, several spills in San Francisco including the most recent in 2007. Program experts perform sensory analysis to detect oil contamination. The results are compared with the results of chemical analysis conducted by NOAA’s National Seafood Inspection Laboratory in
Mississippi or its Science Centers.

In response to the current oil spill, the program is beginning to implement a plan of operation to assist both industry and government to determine the extent of contamination in seafood. The program can mobilize staff to train State inspection personnel and industry on sensory analysis techniques to expand the detection capabilities. Depending upon the scope of the problem, it is often best to train a base of State or local industry personnel in the affected area rather than continue to have
Federal inspectors perform the routine analysis.

The mission of the NOAA Seafood Inspection Program is to ensure the safety and quality as well as enhance the marketability and sustainability of seafood products for the benefit of the American consumer by providing science based inspection services to the seafood industry. The program is voluntary and fee-for-service to provide professional inspection services to ensure compliance with food safety and quality regulations. It is the only Federal program with authority to bestow the U.S. “Grade A” mark for eligible products that meet exceptional quality standards.

Inspection Offices

The NOAA Seafood Inspection Program can assist with all seafood inspection needs. Contact one of our regional offices about services in
your area.

Seafood Inspection Program
NOAA Fisheries
U.S. Department of Commerce
1315 East West Highway, F/SI
Silver Spring, MD 20910
www.seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov