NOAA Plans to Test Oil-Tainted Seafood

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US is planning to test oil-tainted seafood from an oil spill that hit the Gulf of Mexico.

Seafood inspection programme chief quality officer Steven Wilson said the sensory tests, a combination of chemical and sensory testing, are more sensitive than a straight chemical test, according to foodsafetynews.com.

The process includes tasting the samples to determine whether the seafood is fit for human consumption, Wilson said.

For the chemical analysis, the NOAA will send samples of seafood to labs in Seattle, Washington which have experience testing for petroleum in seafood.

Food samples will also be sent to NOAA’s sensory testing lab at Gloucester, Massachusetts.