Virginia Department of Health Closes Parrott Island to Shellfish Harvesting

December 31, 2019 Virginia Department of Health

The Virginia Department of Health announced that the shellfish harvesting waters surrounding Parrot Island in the Rappahannock River in Middlesex County are closed to the harvest of oysters and clams effective December 27, 2019.

R.I. Judge Rules That Oysters Qualify as Form of Livestock

You might not consider saltwater bivalves on par with any variety of cattle, goats or sheep, but a Superior Court ruling this week determined that is precisely what oysters constitute: livestock.

North Coast Tradition Renewed as Dungeness Crab Delivered to Sonoma County Ahead of New Year’s Eve

The rush to renew a North Coast New Year’s tradition — feasting on freshly caught Dungeness crab — may help ease the pinch of a late start to the season for fishermen and retailers, but mediocre early returns have so far added a little lemon juice to the cut endured this year by the fleet.

Food Safety and Inspection Service Labeling Guideline on Documentation Needed to Substantiate Animal Raising Claims for Label Submissions

December 31, 2019 Perishable News

The purpose of this compliance guideline is to outline the documentation that establishments need to submit in support of label applications for products that bear animal raising claims. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the Agency in USDA with the responsibility for ensuring that the labeling of meat and poultry products is truthful and not misleading. Labeling bearing claims referring to the way that the source animal for a meat or poultry product was raised need to be evaluated and approved by FSIS prior to use.

Canada, Ontario Supporting Innovation for Ontario’s Chicken Farmers

The governments of Canada and Ontario are helping farmers and other businesses in the province’s broiler chicken egg and hatcheries sector enhance traceability of its products.