Ag in the News Putnam Says Fla. Seafood Safe 1 Year After Spill State Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says testing shows Florida seafood is safe to eat a year after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Putnam said on Monday that less than 11 percent of [230] seafood samples tested by the state had traces of possible oil contaminants. Those samples had less than a thousandth of a percent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's levels of concern. (Miami Herald, Naples Daily News, 4/19) Ag Chief Eats Gulf Grouper To Show Seafood Safe Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam put his mouth where his message was on Wednesday. In Pensacola to tout the safety of Florida seafood on the one-year anniversary of the BP oil spill, he lunched on a sandwich of locally caught grouper at downtown's Fish House restaurant. "We have pulled hundreds of samples since the spill, testing for the presence of oil or dispersants, and we have found nothing that remotely approaches any concern whatsoever," Putnam said. "We're out there combating a public perception issue that is not based in science." (Pensacola News Journal, 4/21) Has Florida's Gulf Coast Rebounded After Spill? Fla. Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, and restaurant owner Collier Merrill join Morning Joe to discuss how tourism to Florida's Gulf Coast declined in the wake of the BP oil spill, how tourism has rebounded a year later, and the safety of Florida's seafood. (MSNBC’s Morning Joe, 4/20) Visit Florida Launches New Website Governor Rick Scott and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam today helped VISIT FLORIDA, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, announce the launch of their new FishingCapital.com website. Working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), VISIT FLORIDA has created the ultimate website for boating and fishing enthusiasts with content to help anglers get the most out of their next Florida fishing trip. (WCTV, 4/19) Competitive Cabinet Mulls State Seafood Woes, Goes Fishing Cabinet members heard some tough news about the state's seafood industry during Tuesday's meeting in Panama City. Florida's seafood? Fresh and healthy and uncontaminated as can be. Consumer confidence in Florida's seafood? Well, not good. The problem: Inland Floridians just haven't gotten the message that the state's seafood is safe. (Miami Herald, 4/20) State’s Culinary Ambassador Wows ‘Em In Panhandle After 200 million gallons of oil and 1.5 million gallons of dispersants flooded into the Gulf of Mexico last year, tourism and agriculture officials are struggling to get the word out that Florida’s coast is as beautiful – and safe – as ever. Enter Justin Timineri, the state chef and “culinary ambassador,” who showed off his craft at Bayou Joe’s after the panel returned from their angling adventures. (Palm Beach Post, 4/20) Adam Putnam's Healthy Schools For Healthy Lives Act Headed To House Floor Score another win for Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Putnam’s Healthy Schools for Healthy Lives Act (HB 7219) received unanimous support from the House Appropriations Committee and, on Wednesday, he thanked committee chairwoman Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, and the members for supporting it. (Sunshine State News, 4/20) Commissioner Spotlight This week, Commissioner Putnam was focused on promoting the safety and availability of Florida’s Gulf seafood. On Monday, he held a media availability with Capitol reporters, detailing the Department’s testing and monitoring efforts to ensure the safety of Florida seafood. He also discussed the marketing efforts underway to restore consumer confidence. On Thursday, Commissioner Putnam traveled to Pensacola, in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill. He began the morning with a live interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, during which he spoke to the safety of Florida’s Gulf seafood and encouraged viewers to visit Florida’s Gulf coast and eat Florida Gulf seafood. At the Fish House, a local seafood favorite, Commissioner Putnam met with members of the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce about the impacts of the Gulf oil spill in their area over the last year and the Department’s efforts to restore confidence in Florida seafood. After this meeting, he visited A.C. Williams Seafood Company, where inspectors from the Division of Food Safety demonstrated a sampling of seafood for effects of the oil spill. At the Department One year since the oil spill in the Gulf, many consumers remain skeptical of the safety of Gulf seafood as images of oil leaking into the Gulf are still fresh in their mind. This misperception has taken a toll on Florida’s fishing industry, especially in the Panhandle. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is responsible for testing the safety of Florida’s Gulf seafood and test results show that Florida seafood is safe and abundant. The Division of Food Safety has screened more than 230 seafood samples, including finfish, shrimp, crabs, lobsters and oysters, and less than 11 percent were found to have traces of possible oil contaminants. Of these traces identified, all were less than 1/1000th of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) levels of concern. The Department’s award-winning Division of Marketing is working to raise awareness for the proven safety of Gulf seafood. In August 2010, the Division rolled out the ‘Gulf Safe’ campaign to assure customers that Florida seafood is safe to eat. The campaign encourages restaurants and retail stores to label their products and airs ads across the region to raise awareness for the safety of Gulf seafood. Additionally, a new campaign calls for “Gulf Wild” tags to be placed on Gulf grouper and snapper to proudly let consumers know where their seafood was caught. These logos will help consumers realize that the Florida Gulf is producing safe and delicious seafood. With an additional $20 million in funding from BP, the Department will increase both its testing and marketing capabilities to continue ensuring the safety and availability of Florida’s Gulf seafood. A Look Ahead · Monday, April 25: Commissioner Putnam will read to students at Shady Hill Elementary School as part of Ag Literacy Day, Ocala, FL · Monday, April 25: Commissioner Putnam will read to students at Columbia City Elementary School as part of Ag Literacy Day, Lake City, FL · Tuesday, April 26: Commissioner Putnam will meet with the State 4-H Officers, Tallahassee, FL · Wednesday, April 27: Commissioner Putnam will speak at 4-H Day at the Capitol, Tallahassee, FL |
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