Louisiana has always been known for its fresh and flavorful seafood, but beyond the obvious benefit of taste, there are several other reasons to buy Louisiana seafood. Let’s start with the Louisiana economy. It is estimated that one out of every 70 jobs in Louisiana is related to the seafood industry with an annual $2.4 billion economic impact. The Louisiana shrimp industry has the highest impact accounting for 15,000 jobs and an annual $1.3 billion economic impact. Oysters have the second-highest economic impact, followed by crabs, then crawfish (my personal favorite), and finally alligator. Beyond providing for a healthy economy, Louisiana seafood also provides for healthier you!
Approximately 90 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. This number is a little lower when looking at coastal states, including Louisiana, by nature of their location. Much of the imported seafood is farm-raised and subject to unsanitary practices including overcrowding in ponds and/or industrial tanks that can result in a “sludge of fecal matter, chemicals, and excess food” that build up and decay. This mixture creates a prime environment for bacteria and algae to thrive causing disease within the harvest, so farmers use antibiotics to prevent this from occurring.
While the Food and Drug Administration does test imported seafood for antibiotics and other illegal drugs, the number is minimal. Let’s take shrimp, for example, it is estimated that only 0.1 percent of imported seafood is specifically tested for unsafe drugs such as antibiotics, and in a one-year period, 12 percent (of that minuscule 0.1 percent) tested positive for such drugs. It makes one wonder what is in the other 99.9 percent of imported seafood that is never tested and makes it to our local grocery store shelves.
And to leave you with one last reason to buy Louisiana seafood:The Food and Drug Administration does do slightly more testing (2 percent) on imported seafood, not pertaining to antibiotics and other illegal drugs. Interestingly, one of the main reasons that samples from this area of testing are refused is because it is found to have “filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance or be otherwise unfit for food.”
On that note, it is crawfish season, so I think my plans for this weekend are to buy a sack of select Louisiana crawfish and have a crawfish boil!
About Christy:
I am a board-certified family and emergency nurse practitioner who loves to dabble in all things health!I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach and share my knowledge with future nurse practitioners through my faculty position at UL Lafayette. My husband, who is a board-certified emergency medicine physician, and I, also own a medical spa, Serenity MedAestehtics, in Youngsville. This gives us an opportunity to see the happier side of health and wellness. I have three wonderful children, two teenage boys, and one adorable and very spoiled toddler – also known as “the princess.” I love being able to share serious and not-so-serious health hacks with family, friends, and now, all of you!
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