FDA filleted over imported fish inspections

FDA filleted over imported fish inspections    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not kept up with inspecting farm-raised fish imports for potentially dangerous drug and antibiotic residues, a congressional watchdog agency report said.
   U.S. fish imports have increased significantly during the past 10 years. It's estimated that nearly 85 percent of seafood consumed in the United States today is imported from about 130 countries, of which half comes from fish farms or aquaculture.
   Fish grown in confined spaces can have bacterial infections, which may require farmers to use drugs such as antibiotics for treatment. The residues of some drugs can cause cancer and antibiotic resistance, warned the Government Accountability Office.
   The FDA is charged with ensuring safety of seafood against residues from unapproved drugs, and the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service provides inspection services on request. In 2009, the two agencies signed a memorandum of understanding to improve seafood oversight and leverage their inspection resources.
   Yet GAO said FDA generally does not visit overseas fish farms. 'FDA has conducted foreign country assessments in five countries to gather information about those countries' aquaculture programs. However, these assessments have been limited by FDA's lack of procedures, criteria, and standards,' GAO said.
   GAO further noted FDA's sampling program is 'ineffectively implemented.' In fiscal years 2006 to 2009, FDA missed its goal to collect import samples by about 30 percent. In addition, in fiscal year 2009, FDA tested about 0.1 percent of all imported seafood products for drug residues.
   'FDA's reliance on 7 of its 13 laboratories to conduct all its aquaculture drug residue testing raises questions about the agency's use of resources,' GAO said.
   Furthermore, GAO said FDA and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have made little progress to implement the 2009 MOU.
   'Because FDA believes NMFS inspectors need training to conduct inspections according to FDA standards, it has not utilized NMFS's inspection resources or results in a systematic manner,' GAO said. 'Better leveraging available resources is critical, especially in places like China, where FDA has inspected 1.5 percent of Chinese seafood processing facilities in the last 6 years.'
   Going forward, GAO recommended FDA study the feasibility of adopting practices used by other entities to better ensure the safety of seafood imports, enhance its import sampling program, and improve its collaboration with NMFS.