Louisiana Seafood

The American Seafood Coast Guard takes a stand for domestic seafood with a new initiative to educate consumers.

May 2nd, 2016 by: Misty Miloto

If you’re like most consumers, you assume that the seafood you get in local stores and restaurants is always domestic, when, in reality, the seafood is domestic only about 10 percent of the time. As compared to imported seafood, American domestic seafood is much safer than imported varieties. According to The American Seafood Coast Guard, a significant amount of imported seafood contains harmful chemicals and is farm-raised or processed by slave labor.

Through its new initiative, TASCG aims to educate the consumer to ask questions and appreciate where purchased seafood comes from. Seafood’s point of origin has everything to do with how it tastes, its quality and even its safety. According to the organization, recent attention about seafood traceability, lack of import regulations and unsafe toxic levels in fish from oversees, has increased the need for understanding the importance of responsibly raised U.S. seafood. louisianaseafood.com/why-domestic

Some everyday tips that are important to know include:

• Know your labels. County of Origin labels are required for seafood sold in the United States.
• Flip the bag; learn how to properly identify the Country of Origin label.
• Build relationships; find a reliable, knowledgeable retailer.
• Ask about it; ask restaurants and establishments about the origin of the seafood served.