FDA Reiterates That Gulf Seafood Safe Is Safe

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official has declared seafood
from the Gulf of Mexico safe for human consumption after 2010’s Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. In December 2011, eight U.S. Senators urged the agency to
“publicly and vigorously” defend the safety of Gulf seafood.

In a January 11, 2012, FDA blog post, Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael
Taylor said that more than 10,000 seafood specimens were tested for polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) after the spill and that PAH levels were
“100 to 1,000 times below the levels which would raise a health concern.”
Taylor added that FDA feels “confident that the levels that were set are safe
and protect the health of anyone who eats seafood, including children and
pregnant women.”