Some Gulf Fish, Shrimp Safe, FDA Says

U.S. inspectors say that shrimp and fish from parts of the Gulf of Mexico have been tested extensively and found safe to eat. More tests are being done on oyster and crab catches. That was the word from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) August 16 as shrimp season began. A spill that began in April dumped nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. In areas cleared for fishing, levels of oil-related chemicals in fish and shrimp are about the same as those found in non-Gulf waters, the FDA said. Fish and shrimp break down and remove these chemicals from their bodies faster than oysters and crabs do, experts told the Associated Press. The FDA said there’s also no reason to fear the chemicals put into the water to break up the oil from the recent spill. The FDA does not believe that these chemicals build up in seafood. The agency is still working on a test for them.