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Issue link: https://seafoodbusiness.epubxp.com/i/79767
News Recap WASHINGTON In BRIEF The James Beard Foundation selected Skuna Bay Salmon as its house purveyor of fresh salmon. The Vancouver Island farmed salmon will be served at multiple dinners, tastings and special events that take place more than 200 days a year at the historic James Beard House in New York. The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) expanded its certification to include several U.S. reprocessing plants. A Brownsville, Texas, shrimp and tilapia plant owned by Rich Products Corp. and two facilities owned by Slade Gorton and Co. (one in Boston and another in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) earned Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. Camanchaca, a vertically integrated Chilean seafood company, received two stars in the GAA's BAP program. The processing plant and farm site that are certified are the first two-star salmon facilities in the Southern Hemisphere, according to company officials. Camanchaca produces salmon, mussel, langostino lobster and scallop products under the Pier 33 Gourmet brand. The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) in August launched a seasonal newsletter called "Hooked" to keep its restaurant-industry members informed of the latest seafood information. "It's our hope that through the 'Hooked' newsletter we can help foodservice find new and innovative ways to give consumers the options and information they clearly want," says Jennifer McGuire, a registered dietician and NFI's manager of nutrition communications. StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee Foods agreed to pay a collective $3.3 million sum to settle civil claims in California over complaints that the companies packed less tuna than what was stated on the cans' labels. The shortages were found in tuna packed in vegetable broth, prosecutors said. NFI says the dispute centered on the Food and Drug Administration's outdated pressed-weight standard. Australian fish farmer Clean Seas Tuna will cut jobs and put its kingfish business up for sale, in whole or partially, due to issues with fish stricken with enteritis, an infection of the intestines. The company announced a loss of AUD 30.75 million ($32.2 million) for its fiscal year that ended in June. Direct QUOTE The U.S. Census shows that 50 percent of all Americans over the age of 18 are single. Manufacturers need to re-merchandise their $10 box of individual portions sold in grocery stores and sell single portions into dollar stores. — Steve Johnson, founder, Foodservice Solutions (see What's in Store, page 34) 6 SeaFood Business September 2012 U Anti-fraud bill seeks full traceability said Oceana .S. Reps Edward Markey and Barney Frank, both of Massachusetts, introduced legislation aimed at minimizing seafood fraud. Te Safety and Fraud Enforcement (SAFE) for Seafood Act would require full traceability for all seafood sold in the United States. Te bill also calls for greater cooperation the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Oce- anic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2009, a U.S. Govern- ment Accountability Office report said fed- eral agencies are not doing enough to pre- vent seafood fraud. U.S. Reps. William Keating, Walter Jones and Joe Courtney also co-sponsored the bill, which, ac- cording to Markey, increases in- spections, penalties and coordina- tion at the federal level and with local and state agencies. Oceana, which last year launched consumers, hurting honest fish- ermen and seafood putting our health at risk and undermining conservation efforts," Snap SHOTS It's good to be king: Chef Gregory Gourdet of Departures Restaurant in Portland, Ore., was crowned King of American Seafood on Aug. 11. Gourdet's slow-cooked Oregon Chinook Salmon with Butter Clams, Bacon Dashi, Porcini, Roasted Heirloom Tomato and Crispy Sea Greens beat out 15 other chefs to win the ninth annual competition. According to event organizer Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, it was the largest field ever for the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, held annually in New Orleans. For updated NEWS, go to www.SeafoodSource.com U.S. Rep. Barney Frank campaign director Beth Lowell. "With a complete traceability system in place through- out the seafood supply chain, con- sumers and suppliers alike will no longer have to wonder if what they're getting is actually what they paid for." Te World Wildlife between U.S. Rep. Edward Markey Fund also weighed in on the legisla- tion. "Tis is a big step forward for all Americans, looking for a consistent sup- ply of seafood that is safe and legal, and for those who already provide those prod- ucts today," says Ro- berta Elias, director deputy of marine and fisheries policy at the WWF. "Te bait- to-plate tracking of fish products envisioned in this bill will help to provide consumers and regulators more information on the source and identity of the seafood that is sold in our country." In July, Oceana reported that an anti-seafood fraud campaign, applauded the bill. "Seafood fraud is cheating businesses, nearly one-third of the seafood it had tested in South Florida was mislabeled. Te Washington, D.C.- based environmental NGO has conducted similar investigations in the Los Angeles and Boston areas, with similar results. — SFB Staff Photo courtesy of LSPMB