Nov 13, 2009
Governor Jindal and DHH Secretary Applaud FDA Decision to Halt Regulations on Oyster Industry

BATON ROUGE – Governor Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine today applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to delay a proposed plan banning the interstate sale of untreated raw Gulf oysters in warm months. Both the Governor and Secretary had previously expressed their concerns with the proposal directly to the FDA, which has now agreed to commission a study on both the economic impact of any decision for the oyster industry and how to decrease the incidence of vibrio vulnificus infection. Governor Jindal sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Tuesday, outlining the effects of its proposed regulations on the state’s oyster industry.

Governor Jindal said, “This is a big win for Louisiana’s oyster industry, which employs 3,500 hard-working men and women in our state. We spoke loudly in opposition ever since the FDA announced its original plan, which would have significantly set back our state’s oyster industry and economy. I am pleased that FDA has pledged to not only delay its decision, but to work with Louisiana and the other coastal states, as well as the oyster industry itself, to find a solution that everyone can support.”

DHH Secretary Alan Levine said, “We applaud the FDA for listening to the concerns of the state and the oyster industry, and we are grateful to our congressional delegation for their swift action.  We are committed to oyster safety, and have complied with all the provisions of the agreement to ensure our products are both safe and of a quality that consumers can enjoy.  We take our role seriously, and we will continue to work with our partners at the FDA.”

FDA officials announced their proposal to ban the sale of untreated raw Gulf Coast oysters during a speech given to the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) on October 17.

In response, Governor Jindal submitted a letter to the FDA on Tuesday, November 10th outlining state regulations currently in place and administered by DHH and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for ensuring the safety of shellfish, and stressing the economic impact the FDA’s rapid move to add regulations without any public comment period would have on the state’s oyster industry.

To view the letter visit: http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=1753

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