Letter to the Honorable Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration - Regarding Potentially Toxic Chinese Fish

Letter

Dear Commissioner Hamburg,

I write to express my concern about the quality and safety of imported Chinese fish that may contain high levels of toxic chemicals not approved for use on food or for human consumption. I respectfully request that the FDA increase inspections, testing and analysis of all imported seafood, especially products originating from China.

As the agency responsible for overseeing the safety of seafood imports, and operating a mandatory safety program for all fish and fishery products, it is imperative that you step up inspections of foreign seafood imports. Right now, only about 1% of imported seafood shipments are physically inspected. Of that small sample that is inspected, approximately 50% contain chemicals that are illegal for fish farmed in the U.S. It is unconscionable that these products are being sold to unassuming customers and unconscionable that these fish imports are directly competing with domestic fisheries that adhere to the United States' strict food safety standards. For this reason, I ask that FDA expand its inspection of imported seafood, and push our trading partners seeking to export seafood to the U.S. to adopt more stringent standards for the use of chemicals in the fish hatchery process that could be harmful to consumers.

China is the biggest producer and exporter of seafood in the world, and the fastest-growing supplier to the United States. Each year, about one in four Americans experiences a food borne illness, and seafood products cause approximately 20 percent of such outbreaks in the United States. Americans are consuming more seafood than ever, and to meet this growing demand, over 80% of it is imported and half of the seafood produced around the world comes from industrial fish farms, like those in China, some of which raise their fish in unsanitary conditions and use antibiotics and chemicals that can leave residues in the fish that people eat. While the FDA prohibits such antibiotics and chemicals in imported fish, we know that products containing contaminants reach our shores and are sold to American consumers. The possibility that tainted seafood is endangering the health of American consumers cannot and should not be ignored. As such, I urge the FDA to act expeditiously with respect to testing of seafood imports, particularly those products originating from China. I also respectfully urge FDA to improve country of origin labeling for fish at the retail point of sale. Consumers should be able to make informed decisions about the source of the seafood they purchase and consume.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I also ask that you please keep me apprised of developments on this issue. If you have any questions, please contact my Washington, DC office at 202-224-6542.

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