"President Barack Obama says from the oil-stricken Gulf of Mexico that seafood from the region is safe to eat and announced a new coordinated effort to make sure it stays that way. In remarks from Theodore, Ala., on Monday, Obama said that the government will step up its inspections and monitoring to help ensure that the Gulf Coast food industry is getting the kind of protection and certification it needs to sell its products around the country. Obama said, "We don't want tragedies on top of the tragedy we're already seeing." The president had high praise for the Gulf seafood he ate for lunch in Mississippi. He is in the region on a two-day trip." http://www.wwltv.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/Obama-pronounces-Gulf-seafood-safe-to-eat-96322039.html Oh yes, whats this article make me think of....? Oh yeah! The seafood is safe to eat UNTIL people start dropping dead from it.
The current food inspection system is supposed to ensure the safety of beef and they fail massively at that. Seriously, how many times have you seen this in the last 18 months? The same group will now be inspecting seafood that resides in a petroleum tainted environment. No thanks.
BTW, how many of you really know exactly where your seafood comes from anyway. I doubt anybody asks at Red Lobster and other restaurants, I doubt anybody inspects the packaging or labels in grocery stores, etc. and even if you did they usually only say product of U.S.A. or China or whatever other country they are from.
I wonder if our president has eaten some seafood already or if he's just saying this as hearsay. "Why aren't you eating that crawfish, Mr. President?? " :grin:
He's talking out of both sides of his mouth here. He's trying to prop up the industry by saying the food is safe and actually eating it. Then, he puts up more regulation, implying it's not safe. I don't think he did public confidence in Gulf seafood any favors.
I think that's what he wants to say, but I didn't take it that way, and I don't think many people will. I take it as: the President wants us to keep eating seafood so the industry won't collapse, but there is a genuine public health risk in eating Gulf seafood. Those who can trust the government to screen may continue eating. Those who don't think the Feds can do anything right won't eat. If Obama had said, the food is still good, don't worry; the government isn't worried and is not changing regulation -- that would have been a vote of confidence (though he'd have gotten attacked for it).
I think he is being practical. He understands there are concerns about it which is why he is announcing more regulation so that addresses concerns about safety at the sametime while promoting it. Its like Volvo showing how many cars they crash in their ads. One could take that as alarmist by saying "if they designed their cars well in the first place they wouldn't need so many crash test" but the message is that we are making safety a priority and showing you how we are.
I call BS, you'd totally tap that... Yeah, i also call BS on the Gulf seafood thing...It can't be good...just like the beach, I'd love to go, but all the oil/toxins will make me avoid it...sad times indeed...