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Wednesday, March 05, 2014

SEAFOOD LABELING LEGISLATION COULD POSE PROBLEMS FOR MARYLAND RESTAURANTS

ANNAPOLIS – Marylanders — lawmakers included — take their crabs very seriously, which prompted a legislative proposal that would let residents know when their “Maryland style” crabcakes aren’t the real deal.

Some members of the seafood and restaurant industries fear that legislation introduced in the state House of Delegates proposing tighter regulations on seafood labeling could be impractical and costly for Maryland restaurants.

Currently, the Maryland Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as well as guidelines set in place by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibit mislabeling of seafood products. But, in an effort to inform consumers about what they’re eating and where it’s coming from, legislation has been introduced in the House Environmental Matters Committee to propose even tighter regulations on the labeling of seafood products, such as the requirement that restaurants clearly display state of origin for all seafood and state or country of origin for crab products on a sign or menu. 

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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

While they are at it, how about some really meaningful legislation from Annapolis?
How about a ruling that defines the WEIGHT of how hard crabs are sold?
How many of us have purchased supposedly "jumbo" crabs at around $60 to $90 a dozen, only to find that smaller ones are at the bottom of the bag, or some of the larger ones are "light"?
Legislate something the consumers can actually benefit from!!!

Anonymous said...

Doesn't our state have more important issues than to address this issue. Ok, keep voting for Democrats and this is the leadership you get in Annapolis.

Anonymous said...

"HEY!, Look over here!

meanwhile...

Anonymous said...

There is NOTHING more important than crabs, are you crazy? The rest of Gov is nothing but a snowball headed for hell that we can not halt or divert at this stage. God bless the blue crab for giving us what little pleasure we have left.

Anonymous said...

I have never purchased crabs for $60-$90/dozen! I rarely ever pay that much for a bushel. I'd rather buy lump crab meat for $12/lb and make crab cakes.

Queensgirl52 said...

To 7:08: Where do you get lump crabmeat for only $12? Is it domestic? The last time I found crabmeat that cheap, it turned out to be from Chile and was atrocious. I wouldn't feed it to our cat. I took the empty container back to Super Fresh and got a refund, and the woman at the service desk said that many people had been in for refunds.

Anonymous said...

I don't want some crap crab meat from a Vietnam farm. Nothing wrong with labeling it, the corporate powers against this want to hide the truth.

Anonymous said...

If I told where I get it from, I won't get it anymore. Straight from the picking/packing house is all I'm willing to say.

Anonymous said...

I get all of my crabs through the water, which costs me a fishing licence. I know where my crabs come from, and don't have the BS associated with the seafood scammers around here.

Anonymous said...

Restaurants in OC frequently pass off imitation crab meat under the pretense of it being real.Whenever this happens to me I look around to see if there might be a disclaimer anywhere on the premises.I've yet to see one.

Anonymous said...

I don't want no stinking Vietnamese crab meat senor'.