NEW WILD SHRIMP LINE DEFENDED

Robert Vosburgh

NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Department of Commerce defended its inspection program for wild American shrimp, after one product line became caught up in a net of controversy over quality standards.

The Commerce Department response came after a group of Louisiana shrimp processors complained Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp were substandard and giving a black eye to the nascent wild American shrimp industry. One of the fishermen was quoted as saying bags of Emeril shrimp had "broken tails, some pieces and black spots."

All are prohibited under the standards set up by Wild American Shrimp, a campaign sponsored by the U.S. government to make naturally raised Gulf of Mexico shrimp an alternative to imported, farmed product.

In a statement attributed to Bob Kell, the department's consumer safety officer, the Emeril line is inspected by the agency to meet Wild American Shrimp certification standards. "The USDC has reports and records of all Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp that have been packed and shipped and has no knowledge of any shipments that did not meet these standards."

To use the Wild American certification mark, shrimp must exceed standards for flavor, odor and physical defects such as dehydration (for frozen shrimp), black spots, cleanliness, texture and several other categories. Government inspectors are responsible for measuring these quality standards before a Wild American certification mark is awarded.

"You can't have [defects like black spots] and pass inspection," said Craig Borges, co-owner of New Orleans Fish House, the Emeril line's processor and distributor. "That's one of the things USDC looks for."

The products, initially offered exclusively in some markets by divisions of A&P, Montvale, N.J., remain available in stores, he said.

"We have re-orders every single week," he said. "If you have people complaining, you're not going to be selling a lot of shrimp like this."

Borges added he has not received any complaints from consumers via the supermarkets carrying the products. Other retailers offering the Emeril line include Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., and Stop & Shop/Giant of Carlisle, divisions of Ahold USA.