Senator introduces bill to ‘Make Shrimp Healthy Again’

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-MS, has introduced the Safer Shrimp Imports Act, legislation aimed at tightening federal inspection standards for imported shrimp.

The bill, S.667, would require foreign shrimp exporters to meet U.S. food safety standards and undergo inspections to prevent importation of contaminated shrimp.

With about 90 percent of shrimp consumed in the United States coming from foreign sources, Hyde-Smith said the measure is essential to protecting public health and ensuring fair competition for American shrimpers. Much of the U.S. shrimp is harvested in Mississippi.

“There are three key reasons why this bill is urgently needed,” Hyde-Smith said. “First, it would give American consumers greater confidence that the imported shrimp they’re eating isn’t contaminated with drugs. Second, it aligns with the president’s Make America Healthy Again goals to eliminate harmful chemicals in the food supply. And third, it will help level the playing field for American shrimpers who suffer because foreign governments dump their subsidized and tainted shrimp on the U.S. market.”

The bill would require foreign shrimp-producing countries to demonstrate to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that their food safety inspection systems are equivalent to those of the United States. Shrimp from countries failing to meet those requirements would be deemed adulterated and barred from sale in the U.S. The legislation also mandates regular FDA reporting to Congress on enforcement efforts.

Hyde-Smith criticized the FDA for what she described as lax seafood inspections, which she claims have contributed to a public health crisis. “The FDA has been lackadaisical about seafood inspection for far too long,” she said. “I look forward to working with the president and HHS Secretary Kennedy to make shrimp healthy again.”

The FDA currently has staff to inspect only a small percentage of imported seafood for banned substances. The proposed law would bring FDA oversight in line with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s international equivalence standards for catfish imports. International equivalence is considered the gold standard for comparing food safety inspection systems across different countries.

The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA), which has long advocated for stricter oversight of foreign shrimp imports, praised the bill’s introduction.

“We have worked hard for nearly a decade to ensure foreign shrimp producers comply with the same stringent health and safety requirements as our domestic producers,” said ASPA President Trey Pearson. “Senator Hyde-Smith’s ongoing attention to these issues is critical, and her introduction of the Safer Shrimp Imports Act brings us one step closer to necessary equivalence in health and safety standards.”

S.667 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for consideration.

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