FDA Delays Seasonal Oyster Ban

The Food and Drug Administration postponed a seasonal oyster ban after a fierce outcry from oyster-lovers and industry officials. The plan would have banned the sale of raw, untreated Gulf Coast oysters during the warmer summer months.

The FDA said they would wait to implement the plan as they search for ways to make consuming shellfish safer. Southern politicians worried that the plan would destroy a $500 million economy and around 3,500 jobs.

Fifteen deaths on average occur in the United States each year from eating raw oysters infected with the bacterium Virbio vulnificus. Most of the deaths occur in people with weakened immune systems caused by AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and liver or kidney disease. The proposal would have gone into effect by summer 2011.

Opponents of the ban argued that anti-bacterial processing is too expensive for many small oyster suppliers. The FDA plans to consult other federal agencies about helping business owners afford the treatments.

AUTHOR: Annette Hulbert