Ahab's Journal

Florida oyster advocates fuming over FDA treatment

Before hunting, there was gathering.

Like an orange hanging on the tree, a raw oyster is one of the most basic of foods. Reach down and pull it out of the water, open it and eat it. OK, maybe add a little lemon or hot sauce.

But it may soon not be that simple. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided that starting in 2011, raw oysters coming out of the Gulf of Mexico during warm-weather months must be treated before they can be sold to consumers.

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Gulf oystermen fear short-time ban means end of business

TAMPA - Florida's oyster and shellfish industry is reeling 10 days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration abruptly announced plans to restrict oyster sales during warm-weather months.

Starting in spring 2011, sales of fresh, live oysters from Texas, Louisiana and Florida will be prohibited from May to October unless they are processed after harvest, an FDA official told the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference last week.

Read "Gulf oystermen fear short-time ban means end of business"

NOAA and FDA to Combine Resources on Seafood Inspection

Arrangement to share information will improve food safety

NOAA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled an interagency agreement today to strengthen seafood inspection and improve seafood safety and quality. 

Read "NOAA and FDA to Combine Resources on Seafood Inspection"

FDA plan limits live-oyster sales from Gulf in warm months

Lovers of oysters on the half shell may want to indulge now, while they can. A new Food and Drug Administration plan to cut deaths from one of the deadliest types of food poisoning means that soon, live U.S.-grown oysters will become much harder to find from May to October.

"If you were a connoisseur of Gulf coast raw oysters in the summer, they won't be available to you any more," says Ken Moore, executive director of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference in Columbia, S.C.

At a speech before the group in Manchester, N.H. on Saturday, FDA's Michael Taylor outlined the agency's plans to combat the deadly bacteria vibrio vulnificus by requiring Gulf-raised oysters to undergo post-production processing to kill the bacteria.

Read "FDA plan limits live-oyster sales from Gulf in warm months"

Asian black tiger shrimp in Pamlico Sound?

Madge Williams is storing a nine-inch shrimp in her freezer at Hobo Seafood in Swan Quarter until scientists confirm that it is an Asian black tiger shrimp, a species native to the West Pacific.

The shrimp was caught in Pamlico Sound Oct. 1 in a tow made by the trawler, the Capt. Garland.

Williams photographed the shrimp before freezing it and then reported the capture to the state fisheries agency.

Continue reading "Asian black tiger shrimp?" at the Outer Banks Sentinel »

COMMITTEE FOR BRANDING DARE COUNTY SEAFOOD MEETS THURSDAY

The Committee for Branding Dare County Seafood meets Thursday, October 15, 7:00 p.m., at the Dare County Administrative Building, room 238.

Dare County Local Seafood Branding Meeting is October 15

The next meeting of the Outer Banks Catch Branding Committee is set for Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in Room 238 on the second floor of Dare’s Administration Building in Manteo. 

"Deadliest Catch" Captains Join Florida Campaign To Promote State's Fishing Heritage And Celebrate Seafood Month

Three of the world’s most recognizable commercial fishing personalities are helping Florida mark National Seafood Month in October, and will soon be featured in a public awareness campaign promoting Florida seafood products and the “working waterfronts” where the state’s fishing heritage is preserved and cultivated.

Captains Sig Hansen and Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand -- well known to viewers of the Discovery Channel’s wildly popular “Deadliest Catch” series about Alaskan crab fishing in the Bering Sea -- will appear in television spots and other media promoting Florida’s fishing industry.

Read ""Deadliest Catch" Captains Join Florida Campaign To Promote State's Fishing Heritage And Celebrate Seafood Month"
 

Are Americans concerned about seafood safety?

The National Fisheries Institute convened a consumer focus group on Friday during its annual meeting in New Orleans to discuss seafood food-safety concerns. While the panel discussed a variety of topics, it was clear the focus group was most concerned with buying fresh, local seafood rather than worrying about food-safety issues.   

Read "Are Americans concerned about seafood safety?"

NC Seafood Festival Focuses on “How To”

Seafood lovers, cooking aficionados and do-it-yourselfers will want to check out the "Cooking with the Chefs" tent at the 23rd Annual North Carolina Seafood Festival in Morehead City from Oct. 2 to 4.

Master chefs from Raleigh and the coast will prepare seafood dishes using fish and shellfish plucked from nearby waters. Experts also will be on hand to discuss new online resources where people can learn more about locally caught seafood.

"Survey research from past festivals indicates that people want to buy local, and more and more people are cooking seafood at home," says Barry Nash, seafood technology and marketing specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant. "This year, the theme is ‘learn more and do it yourself.' We want to introduce people to the best resources out there for learning about seafood recipes, safe handling and local species," adds Nash, who also serves on the festival board of directors.

Read "NC Seafood Festival Focuses on “How To” "

Locally caught seafood a plus

A little-noticed story about the importance of community played out in Maine last winter in the shadow of the global economic crisis.

Maine lobstermen were caught in a trap of collapsing banks and crashing markets since October when the Canadian processors who buy much of the state's lobster lost access to credit. Dockside prices for lobster tumbled, falling to as low as $2.50 a pound.

Continue reading "Locally caught seafood a plus" at the Outer Banks Sentinel »

Shrimp, tilapia cited in U.S. labor report

Shrimp and tilapia are among the 100-plus goods believed to be produced using child or forced labor, or both, in violation of international standards, according to a report released on Thursday by U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB).

Shrimp producers in Thailand, by far the United States’ leading shrimp supplier, exporting more than 400 million pounds to the country last year, was cited for both child and forced labor, while shrimp producers in Bangladesh and Cambodia were cited for child labor and Burma was cited for forced labor. The United States imported 1.24 billion pounds of shrimp in 2008.

“It is my strong hope that consumers, firms, governments, labor unions and other stakeholders will use this information to translate their economic power into a force for good that ultimately will eliminate abusive child labor and forced labor,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. 

Read "Shrimp, tilapia cited in U.S. labor report"

Seafood Throw-Down at Rye Farmer's Market

“Even though we live in a fishing community we don’t necessarily understand how those headlines in the paper about fisheries management measures add up to what ends up on our plates,” says Gloucester MA resident and NAMA’s director, Niaz Dorry. “We think about where our tomato comes from, who grew it, how they grew it and how far it traveled before it ended up on our plates. We need to think the same way about your seafood.”

Their not-so-secret agenda is to promote support for the NH fishing industry and fishermen, while keeping economy here in NH, through Community Sustained Fisheries (CSF), Restaurants, Farmer's Markets and Seafood Markets.

"It doesn’t make sense to send NH fish out-of-state, only to be returned, one or two days later, paying more for fish that’s not as fresh. ” Buying sustainable, means purchasing fish in season and different fish, like pollock, hake, or cusk,” says Carolyn Eastman of Eastman’s Fish Market in Seabrook. “We try to elevate exposure and raise awareness of buying seafood locally.”

Read "Seafood Throw-Down at Rye Farmer's Market"

Mariner's Menu Seafood Blog

Red drum is the first featured fish on the new Mariner's Menu seafood blog. Visit the blog for a red drum recipe, a conversation with fisherman and the history and heritage of the fishery. Subscribe by RSS and be alerted to the latest posting.

http://marinersmenu.org/

From trash fish to fresh catch of the day, local species are gaining fans

Mark Marhefka starts working the satellite phone while he's still miles out to sea, heading homeward after three days out on the Amy Marie. He's carrying a load of grouper, black sea bass, triggerfish, and even a wreckfish or two, carefully iced belly-down within 20 minutes of being caught. Calls go out to local chefs from East Bay Street to Coleman Boulevard, letting them know what's on its way to the Shem Creek docks and when it will arrive. Later in the day, chefs start calling back to Marhefka's cell phone to place their orders, jockeying and cajoling for a few extra pounds of the good stuff.

And that good stuff is revolutionizing dining in Charleston. 

Read "From trash fish to fresh catch of the day, local species are gaining fans" 

  

Video Explaining Format for Seafood Throwdowns

Sandy Farrell Explains the Format For This Years' Seafood Throwdowns at Cape Ann Farmer's Market

Watch Video Here

Seafood Throwdowns back at Farmers Market

"Even though we live in a fishing community," says Gloucester resident and Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance Director Niaz Dorry, "we don't necessarily understand how those headlines in the paper about fisheries management measures add up to what ends up on our plates.

"We think about where our tomato comes from, who grew it, how they grew it and how far it traveled before it ended up on our plates," Dorry added. "We need to think the same way about our seafood."

Read "Seafood Throwdowns back at Farmers Market"

Commercial fishermen watching food-safety bill in U.S. House

BATON ROUGE — The U.S. House has adopted legislation that would exempt commercial fishing vessels from a proposed food-tracking system, but the Senate may not take up the question until next month. 

Read "Commercial fishermen watching food-safety bill in U.S. House"

New review endorses CV benefits of fish oil

New Orleans, LA - A new review concludes that there is extensive evidence from three decades of research that fish oils, or more specifically the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) contained in them, are beneficial for everyone [1].

This includes healthy people as well as those with heart disease—including post-MI patients and those with heart failure, atherosclerosis, or atrial fibrillation—say Dr Carl J Lavie (Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA) and colleagues in their paper published online August 3, 2009 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

"We reviewed everything that was published on omega-3 that was clinically important, and the major finding is that there are a tremendous amount of data to support the benefits of omega-3, not just as a nutritional supplement—people have known that for years—but evidence that it prevents and treats many aspects of cardiovascular disease," Lavie told heartwire.

Read "New review endorses CV benefits of fish oil"

Survey: Consumers prefer local, sustainable seafood

PORTLAND, Maine — The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) recently announced the results of a survey conducted in May regarding consumer attitudes about the importance of sustainably harvested local seafood.

More than 40 percent of respondents indicated that they would increase their seafood consumption if they knew it was sustainably harvested, while almost 60 percent said knowing that the seafood was caught locally would increase the amount of seafood they purchased. More than half of those who took the survey said they would pay slightly more for these products, particularly if they knew it would support fishermen, coastal communities or the ocean environment. Respondents cited supporting the local economy as the biggest motivator for buying regionally harvested seafood.

Read "Survey: Consumers prefer local, sustainable seafood"
 

Fish oils could help prevent the leading cause of blindness in the elderly

A diet high in omega three oils can lower the risk of developing age related macular degeneration, American research has found.  

It is thought the fish oils work by reducing inflammation levels.  

Read "Fish oils could help prevent the leading cause of blindness in the elderly"

    

U.S. seafood consumption drops

Imports represented 88.3 percent of the total U.S. seafood supply last year, up from 86.2 percent in 2007, 87.1 percent in 2006 and 86.3 percent in 2006. 

Read "U.S. seafood consumption drops"

Large Study Points to the Brain Benefits of Eating Fish

Many studies have suggested that a diet rich in fish is good for the heart. Now there is new evidence that such a diet may ward of dementia as well. One of the largest efforts to document a connection — and the first such study undertaken in the developing world — has found that older adults in Asia and Latin America were less likely to develop dementia if they regularly consumed fish.

And the more fish they ate, the lower their risk, the report found.

Read "Large Study Points to the Brain Benefits of Eating Fish"

Great American Seafood Cook-Off crown captured by Commander's Palace chef

Each of the 15 chefs and their sous chefs had to use seafood from their native states, and had one hour to prepare and plate their dishes for the judges. McPhail came out on top with a "Creole Seafood Mixed Grill," a variation of his "Louisiana Seafood Mixed Grill" that won him the state seafood title in May.

The first place recipe combined Sheepshead, shrimp and crabmeat.

"We get Sheepshead for $4.50 a pound and fresh jumbo lump crabmeat at $12.50 a pound," McPhail said. "Everything on this plate is a great value, and we're trying to make something that's economical and affordable for families."

Read "Great American Seafood Cook-Off crown captured by Commander's Palace chef"

2009 Great American Seafood Cook-Off

Accomplished chefs from throughout the United States will gather in New Orleans on July 18th to compete in the 2009 Great American Seafood Cook-Off, which is presented by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board. This will be the sixth consecutive year that the popular culinary contest has occurred. The event, which has featured both up-and-coming and celebrity chefs over the years, underscores the importance of cooking with domestic seafood and encourages the use of products from sustainable fisheries.

Read "2009 Great American Seafood Cook-Off "
 

Seafood exporters in a fix over EU traceability law

"Legislation by the European Union insisting that all imported seafood be traceable back to the sources has caused troubles for Indian exporters and authorities. Exporters are concerned that non-compliance of the law will stop all exports to the EU from January 1, 2010.

Traceability is the ability to trace the history, application, or location of any entity by means of recorded identifications.

In seafood exports, that calls for identification of fishing region, time of catch and the fishing boat and the harbour where fish was landed, national president of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), Anwar Hashim, told FE. Some exporters are worried that it might develop as a non-tariff barrier on Indian seafood."

Read "Seafood exporters in a fix over EU traceability law"

 

Jindal signs bill on Chinese seafood

"BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed into law legislation launching a "public safety marketing campaign" to warn consumers of the possible health hazards of eating Chinese seafood and touting the benefits of state-grown and caught seafood.

Jindal's office announced late Tuesday that he signed House Bill 551 by Rep. Fred Mills, D-St. Martinville, that requires the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Louisiana Retailers Association and the Louisiana Restaurant Association to work on the campaign.

Mills' bill, which becomes effective Jan. 1, also requires the state health officer to devise a warning label or statement for menus, tables and walls of restaurants and seafood dealers detailing the risks of eating Chinese seafood, including the potential risk of cancer from some chemicals used in treating the imported products. The signs can also encourage customers to eat Louisiana seafood."

Read "Jindal signs bill on Chinese seafood"

fighting for fish

"Travel anywhere on the Seacoast and you’ll see fishing boats along the shore. But where to eat their fresh fish? Good luck with that. About 11 million pounds of fish, including just over 3 million pounds of fin fish, landed on the New Hampshire coast last year, and nearly all of it left the state after being unloaded on the pier.

Like most of us, I didn’t have a clue that our fish are heading down the interstate. But for those who’ve been watching the industry consolidate over the last 30 years, it’s like standing by while trucks full of money disappear down the road. And seeing 400 years of tradition being sold to out-of-staters. And, for some reason, saying “no, thanks” to an affordable supply of fresh healthy food, only to buy it back a few days later and older, at a higher price."

Read "fighting for fish"

Greenpeace ranks major grocers on sustainable seafood practices

"It turns out the best places in North Carolina to shop for sustainably-sourced seafood are Whole Foods and Target, according to a scorecard released today by Greenpeace that compares the seafood sourcing practices of 20 major grocers."

Read "Greenpeace ranks major grocers on sustainable seafood practices"

Agents investigate shrimp packager

"State and federal fisheries agents served a criminal search warrant at an Independence shrimp processing plant Thursday in an investigation into illegal repackaging of foreign shrimp as domestic product, investigators said.

Dating back to February, the investigation involves several states in the northern Gulf of Mexico region and already has resulted in five or six criminal search warrants being served elsewhere, federal fisheries investigator Steve Campbell said.

Those searches helped lead investigators to the DoRan Seafood LLC plant in Independence, said Campbell, special agent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Law Enforcement."

Read "Agents investigate shrimp packager"

Program is good step in promoting local food

"Seafood from Brunswick County will be marked with a Brunswick Catch logo and restaurants and retailers will promote the brand, as well.

It assures folks that the seafood is local and fresh, helps support our economy, and has less of a negative impact on the environment since minimal shipping is required.

Brunswick County already is known for its Calabash seafood, and hopefully the Brunswick Catch will, well . . . catch on.

It would be nice to look past the Taiwan shrimp at the seafood market and instead ask for Brunswick Catch."

Read "Program is good step in promoting local food"

Tampa Bay fish investigation leads to action

"WASHINGTON -- A key member of a U.S. Senate panel is drafting legislation to plug a hole in government oversight that allows seafood merchants to routinely rip off customers by substituting cheap fish for more expensive fillets.

The effort by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) to reel in such fish fraud comes after a Scripps Television Station Group's investigation found the practice to be pervasive in restaurants in four cities: Kansas City, Mo.; Phoenix; Baltimore and Tampa, Fla.

Snowe said she wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which currently inspects only 2 percent of imported seafood, to ratchet up its checks."

Read "Tampa Bay fish investigation leads to action"

How to get Carolina's Freshest Seafood

"These Crystal Coast restaurants and watermen dish up local seafood"

Southern Living magazine features story about Carteret Catch.

Download Southern Living 7.09 a

Download Southern Living 7.09 b

Eating local seafood is healthy and helps many

"Simply put, N.H. Seafood Fresh and Local is a great idea.

Led by local fisherman and industry advocate Eric Anderson, this new initiative aims to improve markets for local fishermen; get fresh, local fish in Seacoast restaurants and fish stores; and give much-needed support to fishermen, who have been fighting hard for decades just to survive."

Read "Eating local seafood is healthy and helps many"

Eat Raw Fish ... Get a 9-Foot Tapeworm

"One summer day in August 2006, Anthony Franz went to a Chicago area hospital carrying a 9-foot worm.

He did not find it in his garden.  

Franz is one of the few, but growing number of tapeworm victims in cities across the world who are discovering (or rediscovering) that some of the most popular fish can host parasites.

Although still rare, a study this June showed salmon tapeworm infestations tripled from an average of 0.32 cases per 100,000 people each year in Kyoto, Japan, to at least to 1 case in 100,000 people in 2008. As more people adopt sushi and undercooked fish diets around the world so too, has the worm spread." 

Read "Eat Raw Fish ... Get a 9-Foot Tapeworm"

Poll shows public wants local seafood

The Wilmington Star News ran an online poll June 13.

302 readers responded to the question, "Do you care if your seafood is caught locally?"

73.5% - yes
19.9% - no
6.6% - I don't like seafood

(http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/pollarchive)

Brunswick restaurants, fishermen band together to promote local seafood

"Brunswick County has a long tradition of fishing, but its seafood industry has sagged in recent years. It's been hammered by rising fuel prices, cheaper imported products and diminishing docking space as housing developments continue to take waterfront property.

A new branding campaign is trying to counter that decline by steering consumers toward Brunswick Catch."

Read "Brunswick restaurants, fishermen band together to promote local seafood"

Bice busted: Eateries caught in fish fraud

"A Scripps Television Station Group investigation in Kansas City, Mo., Phoenix, Baltimore and Tampa, Fla., found that in 23 out of 38 meals tested the fish species was incorrectly marketed and billed as fancier fare.

For instance, fish listed on menus as "red snapper" was often found to be far-cheaper tilapia, while "grouper" was really catfish, the investigation showed. Such substitutions can save a restaurant a bundle -- while red-snapper fillets cost around $5.20 a pound wholesale, tilapia goes for just $2.20 a pound, according to food commodity analysts.

The Scripps reports, based on DNA analyses of the fish, provide more evidence of the pervasiveness of fish fraud in U.S. restaurants. Although similar testing has been done in New York City and Mobile, Ala., the Scripps project is the first to look at several cities in different parts of the country." 

Read "Bice busted: Eateries caught in fish fraud"

Wild Georgia shrimp scarce

"With shrimping season under way, consumers wanting to experience the taste of wild Georgia-caught shrimp likely expect an abundance in local restaurants.

However, a declining number of shrimpers and higher costs for the local seafood are making it harder to find.

"We anchor our boats on Tybee Island. People might see our boats and think they are eating our shrimp," said Savannah shrimper Mike Dubberly."

Read "Wild Georgia shrimp scarce"

Loving Fish, This Time With the Fish in Mind

"I learned about buying sea creatures in the late ’70s at the sides of two old-time New Haven fishmongers who ran competing markets with differing styles. One brought in every fish he could find, mostly by going (or sending his help) to the Fulton Fish Market, Boston and Point Judith, R.I.

The other relied more on the trucks that worked the East Coast, going from fleet to fleet and market to market: A driver would start in Portland, Me., for example, with lobsters and scallops, and drive to Boston, where he might drop off lobsters and pick up cod and quahogs, then move on to Providence or Point Judith, where he would drop off whatever was in demand and load squid and swordfish. In New Haven he might find flounder. From there, he would hit New York, Cape May, Maryland, right down to Virginia or even Georgia or Florida. Then, his northern load diminished, his southern load — pompano, porgies, spots, snapper — in full supply, he would reverse the trip.

This makes me nostalgic. I may have missed out on the nickel-a-flounder days in New Haven, but I got to shop, learn about and cook fish at a time when my selections were varied and mostly local. Occasionally, there would be Pacific salmon or mahi-mahi, but because these were the days before the creation of cheap air fare for fish (Norwegian farm-raised salmon initiated that business), orange roughy, Pacific cod and Chilean sea bass (actually Patagonian toothfish) were unheard of.

From these experiences, I learned that not only should fish be fresh or at least high quality (some frozen fish is the latter but not the former), but that its source is also important."

Read "Loving Fish, This Time With the Fish in Mind"

Seafood branding gaining support

Enthusiasm for creating a brand identity for Dare County seafood ran high at a public meeting at the Fessenden Center in Buxton last week.

The June 2 meeting drew more than 20 individuals who brought the perspectives of seafood wholesalers and harvesters, restaurants, consumers, marketing consultants and government agencies together to discuss a local seafood promotion program.

Continue reading Seafood branding gaining support »

Marine scientist calls for abstaining from seafood to save oceans

"In April marine scientist Jennifer Jacquet made the case on her blog Guilty Planet that people should abstain from eating seafood to help save life in the ocean. With fish populations collapsing worldwide and scientists sounding warnings that ocean ecosystems—as edible resources—have only decades left, it is perhaps surprising that Jacquet’s call to abstain from consuming seafood is a lone voice in the wilderness, but thus far few have called for seafood lovers to abstain."

Read "Marine scientist calls for abstaining from seafood to save oceans"

Maryland issues rockfish warning

Advisory for toxic PCBs extended to Atlantic waters

"Maryland state officials warned Wednesday that people should restrict consumption of Atlantic striped bass - the state fish and one of the most popular with recreational anglers on Ocean City's beaches and charter boats, as well as with area restaurant diners. 

The Maryland Department of the Environment issued the advisory for striped bass, also known as rockfish, and bluefish caught in coastal waters because they contain high levels of a banned toxic substance. People should not eat the fish more than once a month, the state said. Pregnant women, women of childbearing age, nursing mothers and children 6 and younger should avoid the fish altogether."

Read "State issues rockfish warning"

 
 
 

Saying food is in short supply, fishermen talk of flouting rules

"Fishermen on the lower Yukon River will get the king salmon they need to feed their families, even if it means getting a ticket or going to jail, two Native leaders said.

State and federal wildlife managers tightened the rules on subsistence fishing this summer, a “last-resort” decision to boost the number of kings returning to spawning grounds, said Steve Hayes, who manages the run for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game."

Read "Saying food is in short supply, fishermen talk of flouting rules"

Reminder: Seafood Branding Meeting in Buxton Tuesday

Efforts are underway to create a brand identity for seafood harvested in Dare County, so that consumers chose Dare County seafood the way they chose Maine Lobster or Alaska salmon.  This project is in step with growing consumer demand for locally harvested, sustainably harvested food, and is being developed through the Dare County Commission for Working Watermen. 

A local seafood promotion working group will meet June 2, Tuesday, 1 pm, at the Fessenden Center in Buxton.  The group invites restaurant owners, chefs, seafood retailers, fish dealers, fishermen, local food enthusiasts, marketing gurus, consumers, and other interested parties to attend the meeting and participate in this community-based project.

FDA Issues Draft Assessment of Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a draft summary of published research and a benefit and risk assessment to provide the latest scientific information for consumers of commercial seafood in the United States. Fish provides protein, is low in saturated fat, and is rich in many micronutrients; it also can be a source of certain omega-3 fatty acids. However, fish can also contain methylmercury, which has been linked to adverse health consequences. This assessment evaluates the impact of eating commercial fish on three human health endpoints: (1) neurodevelopment; (2) fatal coronary heart disease; and (3) fatal stroke.

'Locavores' want power to shape food policy

"The Senate bill directs the food policy council to study: What foods are served in public schools, especially to students receiving breakfast and free and reduced price lunches, and increasing the amounts of local sustainable foods served to those students.

The possibility of making local sustainable food available to people who receive public assistance and the possibility of using food stamps at farmers markets.

Ways to encourage community and backyard gardening.

The effect of sustainable local food production on the state's economy.

How to overcome regulatory and policy barriers for farmers and entrepreneurs who produce local sustainable food." 

Read " 'Locavores' want power to shape food policy"

Good catch for customers

"ALABAMA FISHERMEN, fish farmers and restaurant customers could benefit from truth-in-labeling laws signed by Gov. Bob Riley.

One law requires restaurants to tell customers that they can learn where the fish on the menus came from if they ask. The other requires restaurants to proactively disclose whether catfish on the menu is foreign or domestic.

Because of the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Spencer Collier of Irvington and Rep. A.J. McCampbell of Linden, restaurants will be as accountable to customers as retailers are. Retailers are required by federal law to print country-of-origin on the labels of fish packages."

Read "Good catch for customers"    

Quiet kingdom of the crab

"If you're lucky, you might hear the women's voices raised in beautiful a cappella renditions of their favorite hymns while they work. This evening, they share recipes for crab imperial, a baked loaf of crab and cream sauce; stewed jimmies, the big male crabs simmered with onions, dumplings, potatoes, and white gravy; and crab cakes made with lump meat, egg, mayo, scallions, and Ritz crackers. My question about adding diced celery or peppers raises a few eyebrows:

"I guess if your crabmeat tastes bad you could do it," says Tina Corbin, "but I wouldn't. That would ruin the taste." "

Read "Quiet kingdom of the crab"

Carolina Catch of the Day

"Science Café - Carolina Catch of the Day explores the flavors, sources, health benefits and management of North Carolina's local catch efforts Tuesday, June 9 from 5 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

At markets everywhere, consumers now are asking "Where is it from?" when making food choices. To learn more about seafood from the North Carolina coast, join experts from North Carolina Sea Grant and Charlotte area chefs at Science Café - Carolina Catch of the Day on Tuesday, June 9 from 5 to 6:45 p.m. Presented by Discovery Place and Charlotte Area Science Network (CASN), the program will include samples of favorite seafood from North Carolina's coastal waters."

Read "Carolina Catch of the Day"