Oysters to undergo irradiation for safety: FDA

By Sheilah Downey

Calling it a "signifcant hazard," the Food and Drug Administration is proposing that all raw oysters harvested from the Gulf states undergo processing to kill Vibrio vulnificus, a deadly virus.

Those against the plan, including some congressmen, say the processing procedure, which includes quick freezing, high hydrostatic pressure and gamma irradiation, is too costly and kills the flavor of the succulent delicacy.

It is estimated that the Vibrio vulnificus virus kills about 15 people in the country each year.

Michael Taylor, food safety official with the FDA, in announcing the proposal acknowledged the deadly virus isn't harmful to everyone but those with chronic diseases such as AIDS, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes and alcohol abuse.

He said reaching members of this high-risk group has proven especially difficult "especially because many of the individuals are not even aware that they have a chronic disease."

Taylor said that when Post Harvesting Processing (PHP) technologies are used, and they have been employed in some areas since the mid-1990s, "the bacteria are killed and reduced to non-detectable levels."

"The risk (of infection) is very substantially reduced," he said.

But oyster lovers claim that killing the bacteria in that way also kills the flavor.

The Gulf region supplies an estimated two thirds of U.S. oysters and is a $500 million industry. Business leaders claim that the procedures are too costly to implement and could put many of them out of business. They also claim they have implemented changes in harvesting procedures, such as refrigeration sooner after harvest than before, that have helped lower the numbers of those infected.

While cases of Vibrio vulnificus did drop by 35 percent between 2001 and 2008 in California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas, Taylor said those numbers weren't good enough.

Much of the drop in deaths from the virus, he said, was attributed to California's 2003 ban on the sale of all Gulf Coast Oysters harvested during summer months.

"Between 1991 and 2001," said Taylor, "40 deaths had occurred in the state during post-harvesting. Once PHP was required, the number of deaths dropped to zero and has remained there for the past six years."

The plan, which Taylor said is open for discussion, is to require oysters harvested from April through October be put through the post harvesting process before they can be shipped.

Senator Bill Nelson, (D-Fla) has already filed legislation blocking the FDA from using federal funds to implement the procedure.