U.S. Seafood Swimming Upstream

Newswise — Everything organic seems touched with a magic wand, where the $15 billion dollar food segment gives every indication for continuing success as its own niche in the broad food industry. But where organic can make no claim is also where U.S. producers could use a boost, according to seafood experts speaking to food scientists and professionals here this week.

In surveys of major food companies that buy fish, one reason for not purchasing U.S. seafood appears glaring: "'No credible organic standards' stands out as a problem," said Gary Jensen of the U.S Department of Agriculture. "We have no national organic standards."

Fish and shellfish is the only major food group without organic standards, he said.

But federal regulation is on the way, according to Susan Bunsick, policy analyst at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "We need a better regulatory framework. The (current) laws were written before people thought about going three miles out to sea to raise fish in a cage," she said.

Most U.S. fish farms are considered small, under $750,000 annual revenue that USDA designates as "small businesses," said Jensen. But there is consolidation, especially in the face of multi-national companies coming to the America.

"The international companies dominate salmon on the West Coast," said Jensen. "Consolidation is happening. The big [companies] are happy. The small ones have niche markets."

It's "the ones in the middle [that] are getting squeezed."

Now in its 66th year, IFT Annual Meeting + FOOD EXPO® is the world's largest annual scientific meeting and technical exposition on food. Scientific sessions conclude Wednesday.

Founded in 1939, and with world headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the Institute of Food Technologists is a not-for-profit international scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions in industry, academia and government. As the society for food science and technology, IFT brings sound science to the public discussion of food issues. For more on IFT, see http://www.ift.org.