FDA to ban sale of raw oysters from Gulf of Mexico

FDA to ban sale of raw oysters from Gulf of Mexico

www.google.com

Federal officials plan to ban sales of raw oysters harvested from the Gulf of Mexico unless the shellfish are treated to destroy potentially deadly bacteria — a requirement that opponents say could deprive diners of a delicacy cherished for generations.

The plan has also raised concern among oystermen that they could be pushed out of business.

The Gulf region supplies about two-thirds of U.S. oysters, and some people in the $500 million industry argue that the...

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.wwl.com
www.wdsu.com
www.nola.com
www.fox8live.com

Although the ban would only be in place in summer months it still seems like overkill right?
The article says only around 15 people die annually from bacteria in some raw oysters but neglects to mention that somewhere around twice as many people died from cigarette related illnesses while I was posting this thread.
I imagine that peanut allergies account for more deaths than oysters as well.
Which makes me wonder, what is next? I mean never would I have imagined the day that raw oysters would be banned for any period of time.
Using the logic Obamas FDA has, what else can you think of that needs to be banned?

www.google.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Makes me wonder what disease they cure?

Is there some hint as to why they are acting now? Why o why must all my food be irradiated? Please leave the food chain alone.

nonono you got it all wrong...

it's part of a mild attempt at birth control.. population sustaining etc..

see.. new agenda is all about removing aphrodesiacs from the diet.

next it will be rhino horns... i swear..

wait .. they ALREADY OUTLAWED THOSE! seeee.. see MAN! it's what they're DOIN MAANN!!

//looks around shiftily///

-

reply to post by beaverg


Ah this is what I thought it was, Red Tide, and this is not news.

www.tpwd.state.tx.us...

Red Tide has been an issue for a good many years, and people used to simply avoid the oysters during Red Tide. If they are ignorant enough to farm and eat them, then IMO they get what they deserve, but then, it could simply be a lack of education about it.

If people quit eating them during Red Tide, then perhaps the fishermen would pay attention.

from the article:

Until the 1960s, raw oysters were rarely eaten in the summertime. (The old adage was never eat oysters in the months without an R in them.) But changes in harvest patterns and advances in refrigeration and post-harvest treatment have made the industry a year-round business. About three-fifths of the Gulf's oysters are harvested during the warm months.

The FDA is promoting a ban because high-risk groups are not heeding warnings about raw oysters, and millions of other people may not know they are vulnerable.


This is akin to eating blowfish. While it may indeed be a delicacy, every bite you take risks your life. Why would people do this? Educate yourself. Check out the link.

People not taking personal responsibility is why the government feels they need to hold our hands and tell us what to do and what to eat.

Cheers

Originally posted by beaverg

FDA to ban sale of raw oysters from Gulf of Mexico

If it could, the FDA would ban ALL raw foods.

Raw almonds are almost
impossible to obtain anymore. A few people got sick from contaminated
almonds(caused by using sewage sludge for fertilizer probably) and all
almonds must be pasteurized.

One more reason why control of the food supply MUST be taken out of the hands
of Doctors who know nearly nothing about nutrition.

Dismantle FDA. Put Food and Agriculture together.

Put Medicine in a separate Department.

Ask the families of those 15 people if they feel it is an unwarranted effort. Not only that, it is a long and painful death.

we are only talking bout 3 months out of the year. There are crabbing seasons, hunting seasons, and fishing seasons. All put in place for a reason. Now there is an oyster season.


No one should have to die from.....food.

Get over it.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I'm obviously going to have to. But I'm not sure why you're taking the completely unwarranted "snippy attitude" approach.

Those individuals were aware of the risk they were taking because raw oysters are treated like any other product with a warning label. In Destin a few years ago the warning signs seriously looked like I was about to get on a roller coaster ride.

Nobody should have to die from food? So would you support banning peanuts, almonds, pistachios, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc?

Also, those oystermen just lost over half their income in a pretty bad recession, heart wrenching to you I know.


[edit on 29-10-2009 by beaverg]

Wow!!!

Wow!!!

I live 20 minutes from Apalachicola where a large majority of the US's Oysters come from!! This would CRUSH the economy here!

My opinion is that this stems from three things!! All have to do with MONEY and Politics!

1. Just yesterday, there was an open forum hosted by FSU about Near-Shore Oil Drilling. One of the big obstacles to the drilling is the environmental impact on the coastline, fisheries, and oyster beds!

2. This area has been in an extended fight with Georgia (mostly Atlanta) about water rights! The more water they extract up north, the less fresh water gets into Apalachicola Bay, and the more bacteria and algae we get, and the fish, Manatee, and Oyster's suffer from it! This may be a back door route to water rights!

3. Real Estate development and Tax Revenue! There is a recent push to preserve coastline and Marinas from outrageous tax hikes. A piece of coast land used for condos and hotels can generate a lot more tax income and revenue than a Marina. The voters have overwhelmingly voted to protect the Marinas from the tax hikes, keep zoning laws strict, and keep developers out of our most quaint towns. This may be a backdoor tactic to force these guys out of business and take over the Real Estate!

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!

This makes me sad and mad, and I am going for some Oysters as soon as I get off work!!

reply to post by getreadyalready


Don't be too impulsive, the ban is supposed to only last through the summer months, or what constitutes as 3/5th of their sales. So you shouldn't have any issues getting them until next year.

[edit on 29-10-2009 by beaverg]

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Ask the families of those 15 people if they feel it is an unwarranted effort. Not only that, it is a long and painful death.

we are only talking bout 3 months out of the year. There are crabbing seasons, hunting seasons, and fishing seasons. All put in place for a reason. Now there is an oyster season.


No one should have to die from.....food.

Get over it.

15 people???? Long and painful????

Do you know anything about Oysters, or food allergies?

Way more people die from food allergies, bee stings, wheat, etc..! I have an employee that has to go to the doctor everytime somebody burns popcorn anywhere in the building!! Should we ban popcorn!!

I eat Oysters almost daily! I know about 200,000 other people around here that do the same thing, and I have never heard of a single person getting sick!

Now, I know a whole lot of people that have gotten sick after eating smoked chicken, or McD's, or frozen dinners.......

If you don't know anything about the subject at hand, there are plenty of other threads that might by your 2 cents worth!

Originally posted by beaverg
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

Don't be too impulsive, the ban is supposed to only last through the summer months, or what constitutes as 3/5th of their sales. So you shouldn't have any issues getting them until next year.

[edit on 29-10-2009 by beaverg]

Well, we get temporary bans every so often (usually after the threat is gone, lol) for Bacteria, or Red Tide, etc. They used to say not to eat Oyster's in the summer months, but I don't really hear that anymore.

Many times we hear by word of mouth that the Oyster's are no good, we don't eat those we ship them up to the Yankees......

Anyhow, the part that upsets me is the "treatment"!

I would rather eat an icecold fresh Oyster off the dock, than one that has been shipped processed and shipped back again!

I don't know what part of the Gulf of Mexico they harvest oysters. Hopefully not from Galveston Bay here in TX. I wouldn't eat anything that comes out of that nasty water.

Just my 2-cents

Does no one remember the old saying about eating raw Oysters?

"Don't eat oysters in a month that doesn't have the letter "r" in it." Pretty much from May-August.

I like oyster's occasionally, but not raw and never in months without an "r".

I know and accept the risks of eating raw oysters. I've never been sick, but had a buddy get salmonella once that put him out of commission for awhile. This is just another excuse to spray more crap on the food we eat. The odds are probably worse you'll get hit by a car on the side of the road for no reason.

SH.

Peace

[edit on 29-10-2009 by Dr Love]

The FDA is promoting a ban because high-risk groups are not heeding warnings about raw oysters, and millions of other people may not know they are vulnerable.

The anti-bacterial process treats oysters with a method similar to pasteurization, using mild heat, freezing temperatures, high pressure and low-dose gamma radiation.

Sooooooooo,

15 people per year, ignore the warnings posted EVERYWHERE, they know they are "high risk" people, they eat them anyway, and they get reactions.

To protect 15 Idiots, we are going to enact billion dollar legislation, ruin a tradition, and subject millions of people to gamma radiation?

Sounds about right for the FDA to me!

Originally posted by beaverg
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

I'm obviously going to have to. But I'm not sure why you're taking the completely unwarranted "snippy attitude" approach.

Because people are belittling the fact that people die every year from this and act as if it is worth having the right to raw oysters all year round. That and the government is trying to control people from making companies clean oysters for three months out of the year. I know this is a conspriracy site and all,but lets use some common sense.

Those individuals were aware of the risk they were taking because raw oysters are treated like any other product with a warning label. In Destin a few years ago the warning signs seriously looked like I was about to get on a roller coaster ride.

First off, I commend you on actually reading the labels. More people should. But I have never actually seen an oyster come with a label. *smiles* hee, maybe they should be like fortune cookies.

and if you go to a bull and oyster event, or served in a restaurant or whatever, your not gonnna get a label. And then we have the age ol problem of people not reading the directions.

Nobody should have to die from food? So would you support banning peanuts, almonds, pistachios, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc?

Your referring to allergies. Most people who know they have allergies, and avoid those products. Most people eat oysters because they don't have a shellfish allergy. So they assume they are safe, but it has a little bacteria issue. It is the same reason the government doesn't let restaurants to leave meat out for three hours. It is a problem that CAn be avoided. And the regulation is removing an avoidable problem. An allergy reaction is not. And that is why most products, NOW have to be labled if they are processed with nuts. So yes, there are regulations to keep you from dying from THOSe foods.

those oystermen just lost over half their income in a pretty bad recession, heart wrenching to you I know.

Oyster fishing isn't being banned, you just have to do a specialized cleanign process.

I live in a coastal state. I always hear about the poor watermen. IN my state it is a constant battle over crabbing. Basically the native crab populations are beign decimated, but we should cause extinction because fo the poor watermen. But they are not going to have jobs if you completely destroy the crab population. Makes no sense. BTW, oysters are now protected here because...over fishing.

A lot of people have been hurt in teh recession. And yes, sometimes people lose livlihoods. My husband lost his after we just spent a fortune on education. But I am certainly not going to feel too bad if it means that you protect some people.


[edit on 29-10-2009 by beaverg]

Originally posted by getreadyalready

Originally posted by nixie_nox
Ask the families of those 15 people if they feel it is an unwarranted effort. Not only that, it is a long and painful death.

we are only talking bout 3 months out of the year. There are crabbing seasons, hunting seasons, and fishing seasons. All put in place for a reason. Now there is an oyster season.


No one should have to die from.....food.

Get over it.

15 people???? Long and painful????

Fever
Chills
Decreased blood pressure
Septic shock
Blistering skin lesions


Yea, those blistering skin lesions are just a field day! I hope I get some.
I hope i get septic shock for Christmas.

So your deciding that the number of people involved is indicative of whether it is a problem or not? I find it disturbing that you are ready to quickly dispose of 15 people to protect your personal indulgence.

Do you know anything about Oysters, or food allergies?

apparently you don't if you ond't know how this bacteria kills people. It is not just a little food poisoiing, it is a serious bacteria.

Way more people die from food allergies, bee stings, wheat, etc..! I have an employee that has to go to the doctor everytime somebody burns popcorn anywhere in the building!! Should we ban popcorn!!

Many offices ban popcorn anyways because it stinks up the office and ruins the microwave. And many ban perfume because people have allergies. I would say that is not very friendly work environment if you can't tell people to not make popcorn if it makes someone ill till they have to go to the doctor. If that story is even true.

This isn't a competition of what kills how many people. Like I said, a lot MORE people used to die of mundane things till regs were put into place to protect people.

Just because your partial to the food involved, doesn't make the situation any less important. YOur like a kid being told ice cream is bad for you and you can't eat it for dinner.

I eat Oysters almost daily! I know about 200,000 other people around here that do the same thing, and I have never heard of a single person getting sick!

ever meet anyone who has gotten sick from e coli? probably not. they may have though they had the stomache bug. People get sick and don't realize it was a stomache bug. Some food borne illnesses can take weeks to show up. You would never associate it with something you ate.
Personal experience doesn't negate the rule.

Now, I know a whole lot of people that have gotten sick after eating smoked chicken, or McD's, or frozen dinners.......

and your point is????

If you don't know anything about the subject at hand, there are plenty of other threads that might by your 2 cents worth!

Maybe you should go post on the Disney or Yahoo site if you can't be more mature about your posting.

Originally posted by getreadyalready

The FDA is promoting a ban because high-risk groups are not heeding warnings about raw oysters, and millions of other people may not know they are vulnerable.

The anti-bacterial process treats oysters with a method similar to pasteurization, using mild heat, freezing temperatures, high pressure and low-dose gamma radiation.

Sooooooooo,

15 people per year, ignore the warnings posted EVERYWHERE, they know they are "high risk" people, they eat them anyway, and they get reactions.

What warnings? And when people are told they have a disease, they are usually working out medicatiosn adn doctors visits, I highly doubt anyone takes the time to tell them not to eat oysters.

To protect 15 Idiots, we are going to enact billion dollar legislation, ruin a tradition, and subject millions of people to gamma radiation?

No one is forcing anyone to eat raw oysters. But, we will keep killing off 15 people to keep you happy.

Sounds about right for the FDA to me!

So should I tell all the food inspectors to not bother taking temperatures of the food at restaurants? Or to remove dented cans from school storage rooms? Or that sea food doesn't have to be refrigerated? Or that companies can put what they want in food and not even have to label it. Or that drug makers don't have to test medications before putting them on the market.

I swear, I wish bureaucrats would stop protecting stupid people. How will we ever advance our gene pool?

Seriously though, enough already. Chalk another one up to the Nanny State.

(BTW, getreadyalready, GA needs the water too... )