【The Times-Picayune】Bill that targets Chinese seafood clears House

中国尊严08

Bill that targets Chinese seafood clears House
But approach softened in push for labeling
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1241760089246560.xml&coll=1#continue

Friday, May 08, 2009 By Ed Anderson Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE -- The state, its seafood retailers and restaurants will embark on a "public safety marketing campaign" to warn citizens of the risk of consuming seafood raised or processed in China if a bill by an Acadiana lawmaker survives the legislative process.

Lawmakers late Wednesday voted 100-0 for House Bill 551 by Rep. Fred Mills Jr., D-St. Martinville, that originally sought to require seafood dealers and restaurants to post notices and label menus with cautionary language that the consumption of seafood from China "may be hazardous to your health."

It also would have required that all "marine or freshwater seafood products" from China be labeled with the words "WARNING. This product contains Chinese seafood which may be hazardous to your health."

But Jim Funk, chief lobbyist for the Louisiana Restaurant Association, worked to soften the bill, and Mills had to accept a weaker version. Funk said the labels and warning in Mills' original bill were too dire. "That would do nothing but scare people away," Funk said.

He said his association and the retailers group will join forces with the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry and other groups to promote the use of seafood grown and caught in Louisiana and other U.S. states.
"We amended out the menu label requirements and agreed to work with him on the marketing program," Funk said.
The next stop for Mills' bill will be the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.

The bill still calls for state health officials to make signs, labels, placards "or other promotional signage that encourages consumers to consume Louisiana seafood and warns of the risks that may be associated with the consumption of Chinese seafood."

Mills, who represents a strong crawfish growing area, said the bill does not require the signs be posted or the labels used. "It is strictly voluntary," he said. The bill requires the retailers association to also work with various state agencies to "develop a voluntary assessment" to pay for the public safety marketing effort.
Mills, a pharmacist, said that some Chinese seafood is a danger to health because the products often contain chemicals like malachite green and other substances that are known to cause cancer. The bill shows the intent of lawmakers "to protect the health and welfare of . . . consumers from potentially harmful residues in seafood imported from the People's Republic of China that are sold or served in Louisiana."

The bill also would create a task force of 10 state government and health officials to assess the frequency of inspection of Chinese seafood products, the results of the sampling done, and make seafood safety recommendations to present to the Legislature by March 1. It also requires the first meeting of the task force to be held no later than Jan. 15.
. . . . . . .
Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810.

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中国尊严08

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中国尊严08

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