The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has presented Gulf seafood workers with their biggest challenge yet, but they are prepared to keep their industry afloat with all the resources they have, including their noses.
On Aug. 26, about 60 seafood workers gathered at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi to learn how to use their sense of smell to identify oil-tainted seafood. The sensory evaluation exercise was part of the Harvest from Open Waters, or HOW, training offered by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant outreach program.
"State and federal agencies have tested shrimp, finfish, crab and oyster samples from our state waters, and all test results have indicated that the samples are not contaminated with oil," said Dave Burrage, professor of marine resources with the MSU Extension Service. "But seafood workers want to further ensure the safety of seafood by testing at their own facilities. They are guaranteeing that their buyers are getting the best possible products."
Steve Otwell, a seafood Extension specialist in the Sea Grant Program at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, led the training. He explained how to assure the safety of seafood by following HOW guidelines.
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