The Ick in Your Shrimp

[marmar]

via truthdig:



The Ick in Your Shrimp
Posted on Jan 24, 2013


Seafood consumed in restaurants like Red Lobster is likely to be imported from foreign factory-style farms, where antibiotics, bacteria and carcinogenic drugs are found in products that often go uninspected by the Food and Drug Administration.

Retailers such as Walmart and restaurant chain owners assure the public of their food’s safety via Best Aquaculture Practices labels that appear on the products. But the board that oversees the group that awards that label consists of representatives of the businesses that sell the food. In 2012, the University of Victoria’s Seafood Ecology Research Group ranked the organization’s standards for farmed fish at 16 out of 20 among the industry’s aquaculture labels.

In 2011, Americans bought 4.7 billion pounds of seafood, 91 percent of which was imported. Just 2 percent of it was inspected by the FDA.

“That’s worrisome,” writes Tom Philpott at Mother Jones, “because imported seafood has a spotty track record. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 percent of the 39 foodborne-illness outbreaks caused by imports from 2005 to 2010 involved seafood—more than any other type of food.” ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/the_ick_in_your_shrimp_20130124/

[Warpy]

1. The worst ick is tiger prawns imported from southeast Asia

They're often farmed in river estuaries contaminated not only by feces and agricultural runoff but by industrial pollution.

Still, I eat shrimp. I just don't eat many of them, like other foodstuffs that have been rendered largely unsafe by poor practices, lax regulations, absent inspections, and corporate greed.

[cilla4progress]

33. Me too.

Who would have thought we would have to start limiting ourselves from otherwise healthy foodstuffs due to environmental excess, pollution, greed. Like you, I don't eat much of them anymore. Seems to esp. be alot of seafood - tuna, shellfish. Sad.

[zappaman]

2. Not t mention, that icky vein thing that runs along the back and is full of

shrimp poo!

[marybourg]

9. You're supposed to remove that if

it hasn't been done already. The shrimp marked "E-Z Peel" have it done already, but can be cooked in the shells which makes them more flavorful. Best of both worlds (for shrimp, anyway).

[zappaman]

12. I know but every once in a while...

*shudder*

[snooper2]

30. So I take it you don't suck the brains out of crawfish..

Yummy

[Recursion]

40. God that's good

I haven't done that in years. Used to be my summer thing.

[snooper2]

43. Shuck-n-Jive in Dallas

It's a rule though, you have to drink piss beer

[Recursion]

44. Crawfish tuesdays at Macy's in Vicksburg

oddly enough we drank Lone Star

[absyntheminded]

50. Right next to Memphis!

In Addison!

[rucky]

53. Last time I was at Shuck n Jive

Harvey Martin was sitting next to me.

Glad to hear it's still there - and good.

[Mosby]

3. I was telling people about this 25 years ago

When the cheap imported canned tuna started showing up on sale at places like Walgreens.

People assume that the FDA checks this stuff but they don't.

[pa28]

4. You have your choice of farm raised shrimp from asia or gulf shrimp a' la corexit.

Yuck. I just avoid them now.

[Honeycombe8]

5. Oh, crap. One more thing I can't eat. This is all so distressing.

Is there anything that is pure and good and reasonably priced that we can eat these days? Something without mercury, preferably.

Oh...and I just got a notice from my city's water dept that they failed the required testing for toxic or whatever particles. It didn't say WHAT was in the water. I guess I'll have to log on to the site to see that.

No wonder everyone's getting cancer.

[Kalidurga]

7. Oatmeal...

It is extremely versatile. Has a moderate amount of fiber. It's really cheap. As far as I know it also hasn't been GMO'd yet.

[Honeycombe8]

8. Really? I love oatmeal. I know it's healthy. I'll check it out. nt

[Kalidurga]

10. Try it savory...

You won't be disappointed.

[marybourg]

11. Unless you can't eat wheat. Oatmeal is contaminated

with wheat, unless it's specially grown to be gluten-free.

[Kalidurga]

14. I have heard that...

Lucky for me I don't have a gluten problem. I know a lot of people do. But, in some circles it seems like a fashion statement to say they are gluten intolerant. It's just weird to me to run into five people at a time making this claim, but what do I know maybe it's far more prevalent a thing than I can see.

[marybourg]

17. Tests comparing fresh blood samples to 30 year old stored

blood samples show that indeed celiac disease has become far more common than it used to be. Since so many people have discovered they have celiac, or some other type of gluten intolerance, and feel much better after going gluten free, other people have adopted the gluten-free diet with the hope that they too will feel better, lose weight (without any basis for that, however), etc.

[Kalidurga]

18. Well I think we are addicted to wheat and corn generally speaking...

They really aren't the best grains to eat. I eat wheat only occasionally, it isn't cause I am a purist or anything like that. I just don't like wheat that much. Same for corn, it isn't one of my favorite things to eat. Gluten free diets aren't usually low calorie diets, they really only solve one problem and they only solve that problem for people with celiac disease. So, I am not surprised that the disease is on the rise with how much processed crap people eat, but seriously I find it hard to believe 5 people at a single function (about 200 people present) really have it. I believed one of the people really did have it though.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Sorry for getting descriptive.

Did they have gas, dry hair, dry skin or diarrhea? Those are the most obvious signs and symptoms. I mean like obvious. Exhaustion is also a classic and a list of others.

[Kalidurga]

23. Ah ha only the one I believed really had it.

That's funny cause I didn't know the symptoms. It's just he was the only one that wouldn't touch wheat crust pizza the others were like well just a slice won't hurt.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. I got it...and I avoid wheat or gluten like the plague

Though some folks are only sensitive to it and a little will not hurt.

My sis grew up with the sensitivity, diagnosed and all. She'll eat a little...I won't touch it. I will get really sick. As in debilitating sick. And t can be embarrassing as well.

[Kalidurga]

29. I had severe IBS...

It wasn't from wheat. I don't really know for sure what it was from. But, this is what finally helped. I stopped eating meat, it got marginally better. About 10 mos after that I started eating oatmeal every morning, it got a lot better. This is why I push oatmeal. I think it would be good for most people to have lot of it. So, anyway I know how medical issues can be potentially embarrassing, had a few close calls. Also, I think what helps is cutting way back on highly processed foods.

Sorry, you have to deal with that though. I know it isn't just wheat crust pizza you have to avoid. And a bowl of oatmeal seems like a good idea, but I heard cross contamination is a bad thing there. But, there are probably other grains that would be good replacements, maybe Chia Seeds?

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. We got wheat free oatmeal

I eat it from time to time...it's just expensive.

I eat very little processed food. I cook...a lot.

[Kalidurga]

37. Oh good...

That is a message that needs to be spread. Processed foods are killing us collectively speaking. I truly believe that is what made me sick. I don't know if I will ever be in good health again. But, I am happy that many of my symptoms are getting better. And it all started when I cut most the processed stuff out of my diet. I still eat white pasta and a few processed things, but I am gradually replacing those things with better options. I think that it will take a year or so before processed foods are completely out. On a side note, I looked at the price of steel cut oats and it was like yikes, it's like 3x the cost of rolled oats, so I passed on those.

[nadinbrzezinski]

39. Quinoa pasta...has the same mouth feel

Stay away from rice pasta. We had that for dinner...in fact.

[Kalidurga]

42. I have heard that.

If I had the bucks I would get some Colorado or Canadian quinnoa. Or maybe it isn't as expensive as it sounds? I am glad you didn't give up on grains though. I have heard some do and go on low carb diets because it's just easier to avoid gluten that way. People actually it turns out do need fiber and for many years I thought it was a myth.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. Quinoa has gone down in price

It is nutty in flavor.

[Kalidurga]

46. I will give it a whirl..

Oatmeal hasn't gotten monotonous for me yet, but it could happen.

[noamnety]

48. The price for steel cut oats is deceptive.

They cook up different, so a serving of rolled oats is 1/2 cup raw and a serving of steel cut oats is 1/4 cup raw. You have to picture the container twice the size to put it in context.

Right now the store brand of steel cut oats at my local aldi store is on sale for under $2.50 for 28 ounces, or 12 cents a serving. For comparison, the store brand of 42 oz oatmeal at walmart is $3.18, or about 10 cents a serving.

I haven't seen anything showing that steel cut oats are healthier, so unless your budget is so tight that the extra 2 cents per meal is an issue, I would just get the kind you prefer.

[Kalidurga]

49. Oh thanks for the tip on Aldi's

They are a dollar more at my regular grocery store. So about 3.50 and rolled oats well the container looks 3 times bigger for about the same price. I think their health benefits are the same, but I have seen recipes calling for steel cut and I think it would be a big difference subbing rolled oats.

[Scootaloo]

52. Likely it's because of a broader spectrum of samples

Rather than actual increased occurrence.

30 years ago, most samples would have come from people of mainly European ancestry, who due to generation upon generation of wheat-eating, have higher tolerances. Today, the samples would be more ethnically diverse, both in terms of mixed parentage and just in the selection process.

If your ancestors come from a heritage where wheat was not an important foodstuff - or not a food at all - then you simply have higher odds of being intolerant to the proteins and such in wheat. It's a genetic thing, like lactose tolerance.

[csziggy]

15. I'm wondering when the goldfish in my pond get big enough

If I can catch and clean them. Carp is supposed to be a good tasting fish, isn't it?

Or maybe I'll restock the pond with tilapia - they are a good white fish and are easy to grow.

If I raise my own, I'll know what they've eaten!

[RKP5637]

6. Yuck! n/t

[NightWatcher]

13. Come to South Georgia or North Florida and eat local

It's all that I knowingly eat. Chain restaurants are horrible for what they buy and serve. Just had some local Mayport shrimp yesterday and was yummy.

[aikoaiko]

22. Georgia Wild Shrimp.......mmmmmmmm.

[geomon666]

16. Only 2 percent inspected by the FDA

Good thing for deregulation because no company would ever put profits before the well being of people.

[KT2000]

19. destruction of mangrove forests too

these farms destroy the natural protection nature provides by removing the very complex mangrove forests. When strong storms hit the coast there is no longer protection - what the mangrove forests provided. The ecosystem is destroyed to make way for these dirty farms.
Also, there is a limit to the amount of time an area can be used for farming but the destruction is permanent.

http://mangroveactionproject.org/

Please, please do not eat the products that come from these farms.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. But, but...those adds tell me

They are free range with American fishermen. You mean...they lied? Shocking!

[renate]

24. this is why I'm surprised that Costco doesn't sell wild-caught shrimp any more

I think it was from Canada or Alaska or someplace like that. They haven't sold it for years--it's all from Thailand now, at least at my local Costco.

I know Costco is all about quality control so maybe they test their shrimp carefully, but I don't buy it there any more.

[Sparkly]

25. Did anyone else here hear the This American Life story about calamari?

Apparently, it's possible that pig "bung," or rectums, are being substituted for calamari without consumers knowing.

I am not making this up.

[Luminous Animal]

27. What!!!!? Buy them whole and de-ink and de-skin them yourself and you won't be fooled.

It's not difficult.

[DollarBillHines]

36. I heard that spot

Woah...

[PD Turk]

47. Mmmm...

Pig bungs.....

[Luminous Animal]

26. K&R. I remember growing up that shrimp was a special dish because it was expensive...

now that it is farmed, people are gobbling it up along with a lot of ick. For many years I was a vegetarian and then a few years ago I started adding fish to my diet. I used to love shrimp but when I started eating it again, I noticed an odd iodine-like flavor in my throat. I was bummed because shrimp was really something I was looking forward to eating again. Then a friend told be about farmed shrimp... I really didn't know... and that perhaps the flavor I detected was a result of the growing conditions.

I still eat shrimp but very rarely because I now buy "line caught" and it is expensive.

[jpak]

31. I buy Maine shrimp from the back of the truck

Finest Kind

yup

[tavernier]

32. Farmed?

I step onto my dive platform and scoop them up with a net. In fact, I think they might be running right now. The current is pretty strong at the moment.

*getting out pot to boil water*

I love the perks of boat living.

[mainer]

35. Lobster is free-range and organic. Ick on shrimp.

Except for sweet Maine shrimp, of course.

[KamaAina]

38. "91 percent of which was imported"

We don't import anywhere near 91 percent of our oil. It's time we gave some thought to seafood independence!

[flamingdem]

41. What's the word on Atlantic Salmon? Should I stop buying it..

It's farmed but supposedly without the bad stuff according to ... yep I buy it at Whole Foods somehow hoping that it is vetted or something. It tastes better than grocery store bought at least.

[Brainstormy]

54. GMO salmon

is coming to a store near you. The company mentioned in this original op got FDA to sneak approval thru during the holidays when most weren't paying attention. This is also a serious threat to the actual cold water fisheries.

[Mosby]

55. "atlantic" salmon comes from Chile

The industry had a major setback about 5 years ago with an outbreak of some virus. Today there are more regs but there is still some antibiotics in the fish. I think its probably OK, but I would not eat it every day.

[2on2u]

51. If you are taking blood thinners you may want to limit the amount of seafood you

put in your mouth.... as well as many other foods you might not have been warned about. Not to worry though, someone here will probably warn you about blood thinners and seafood.... or not depending on the whether. (sp)

http://www.ctds.info/natthinners.html
While many Americans have problems with blood clots, it is important to note that blood thinning foods are not desirable for everyone in the population. I have been an easy bleeder all of my life, so I have compiled this list so that I know which foods to limit, in order to keep my blood from being too thin.

People taking prescription anti-coagulant drugs also need to be careful not to consume too many foods with natural blood thinning compounds in addition to their regular medication. One of my relatives is on a prescription anticoagulant drug for blood clots and has had eye hemorrhages from ingesting too many blood thinning foods in conjunction with his prescription medication.

Interestingly, my relative was given a list of foods high in vitamin K so he would know what foods to limit so as not to reduce the effectiveness of his medication. However he was not given a list of foods that have their own anticoagulant properties, which if taken in conjunction with his medication could cause bleeding problems. He found some information on his own about blood thinning foods after he had the two eye hemorrhages.