Fresh Seafood

By Wild American Shrimp
Published: February 28, 2007
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Certification Program Sets Stricter Standards for Certified Wild American Shrimp

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/- Wild American(R) Shrimp, Inc.
(WASI) has created a new inspection system with higher quality standards
for Certified Wild American Shrimp than current standards provide. The new
system, implemented through WASI's Certification Program, defines three new
quality standards designed to assure high quality of shrimp. The system
relies on Licensed Trained Evaluators (LTEs) to conduct the inspections and
document the findings for all wild-caught U.S. shrimp that carry the
Certified Wild American Shrimp mark.
    "We've set these new standards for a couple of reasons," said Eddie
Gordon, executive director of WASI. "First, to provide a certified premium
product that meets high standards for quality and point of origin. Second,
to differentiate Certified Wild American Shrimp in the marketplace and help
consumers make a more informed choice about the shrimp they eat."
    Shrimp is currently inspected by the U.S. Department of Commerce
(USDC), which has a single inspection seal for shrimp, which can be applied
to any shrimp that meet the government standard without regard to point of
origin. USDC does label shrimp it has inspected as either Grade A and Grade
B. Those grades measure certain quality aspects of the product. "In the
current government inspection system, the USDC inspection seal can be
applied to shrimp that are imported or domestic, wild-caught, pond-raised
or farmed," said Gordon. "The inspection doesn't tell us enough about the
origin of shrimp, and the grade system provides some information but not
enough to help consumers understand the differences in shrimp."
    "Due to the scope of creating a new inspection system, we knew we'd
have to do two things and do them well. First, we had to define and set
stricter standards that include innovative quality measurements. Second, we
had to create a new method for inspections and train people to evaluate
against our set standards," said Mario Piccinin, director of operations for
WASI. "To achieve those two goals, we worked with a "Mark of Quality" team
that included industry experts from eight coastal Sea Grant universities
and the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration]."
    The three higher standards for Certified Wild American Shrimp are:
Vessel Grade, Shell On, and Peeled. All three standards test the product
for quality, texture, freshness and flavor; also Shell On and Peeled have a
standard to test for uniformity of size. "Vessel Grade" is for shrimp,
either fresh, or fresh frozen, that have shells but may or may not retain
the head. "Shell On" is for shrimp that enter into a processing facility,
are mechanically size graded, inspected and retain their shells in the
final product. "Peeled" is for shrimp that enters into a processing plant
and does not retain its head or its shell in the final product.
    To implement the new inspection system, a training program for LTEs was
developed to assure consistent evaluation against the higher standards.
LTEs are provided extensive training to evaluate the product against
clearly defined standards and to provide the documentation to support their
findings. Since the trainings began in January, two major training sessions
have produced 29 LTEs; an additional five trainings are scheduled for the
next six months. By this summer, WASI expects more than 50 LTEs to be
actively inspecting Certified Wild American Shrimp.
    WASI first enacted the Certification Program as a way to ensure that
warm- water, wild caught shrimp from U.S. coastal waters met a high
standard of quality and consistency. Now, program participants will have to
meet the new stricter standards and comply with LTE inspections. Current
suppliers in the Certification Program have until June 1, 2007 to sign off
and continue their participation in the program. "We've been well supported
by our current partners who are eager for better standards," said Piccinin.
"In addition, we've seen more interest in our program from new suppliers
who want to carry Certified Wild American Shrimp."
    About Wild American(R) Shrimp, Inc.
    Wild American Shrimp, Inc. (WASI) devotes its resources to raising
public awareness about the many nutritional and economic benefits of
domestic, wild- caught shrimp. It is designed to educate consumers about
the advantages of selecting Certified Wild American Shrimp that grows
naturally, is caught fresh and supports the shrimp industry of eight Gulf
and South Atlantic states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina.
    The Wild American Shrimp Certification Program, administered by WASI,
ensures that warm-water, wild caught shrimp from U.S. coastal waters meet a
high standard of quality and consistency. Shrimp that meet these stringent
standards are graded by new standards and labeled with the distinctive
Certified Wild American Shrimp mark. More than 50 approved suppliers
provide this quality product to processors, distributors, retailers,
grocers and restaurants who rely on the quality and consistency of the
certification and the Certified Wild American Shrimp logo to distinguish
their product. Participation in the certification program is available to
harvesters, processors, distributors, retailers, grocers and restaurateurs.
For more information see: http://www.wildamericanshrimp.com

SOURCE Wild American Shrimp, Inc.

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