Top chefs back Gulf Coast seafood as BP Oil spill continues

Knowing where your food comes from is a popular topic among chefs. They want to know exactly where their potatoes were dug up from and if their beef was fed grass rather than corn. So, it’s no wonder that many chefs are wondering about seafood from the Gulf Coast in the wake of the BP Oil spill. A group of chefs including Chicago’s Rick Tramonto and Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio decided that they needed first hand knowledge of the situation.

The duo were joined by a number of chefs including Susur Lee and sustainable seafood advocate Rick Moonen in Louisiana last week. Their aim was to get as much information from local and federal officials on the safety of the seafood so they could educate their diners who had been asking a lot of questions.

A study by the University of Minnesota found that 44% of participants wouldn’t eat seafood from the Gulf Coast and 31% would cut their seafood consumption. The problem is almost 70% of the Gulf is open for fishing, and public opinion is putting added pressure on the beleaguered industry.

The chefs saw that seafood coming out of the Gulf is subject to a battery of tests. Chemical tests are administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and by state based authorities.

Chef Chris Montero said, "Because of this incident, there's more testing going on with our local seafood than ever in history and it will continue. It's the safest seafood available right now because of the constant daily testing."

While there is a possibility that an oil tainted fish could hit the marketplace, imported fish from countries like China also have risks. Crowded fish farms mean more product to move, more money to make, and more disease among the fish.

Contaminants have been found in fish farmed in a slew of Asian countries. Some of the substances that have been found have been deemed carcinogenic by the FDA, such as malachite green to battle parasites and certain antimicrobial agents. While the government may be putting the spotlight on seafood from the Gulf Coast, they only look at 1% of what is crossing the border.

Many of the chefs like Rick Moonen pledged to keep serving Gulf Coast seafood in their restaurants as long as the product was safe. He said, “I’ve been talking about sustainability and conservation, I feel as though I’ve been screaming into a pillow. It took a major disaster like this to get people to start listening.” And hopefully, reading labels and asking questions the next time they’re at the supermarket.