Skip to main content
          Skip to FDA Search
          Skip to in this section menu
          Skip to footer links


U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government

					Here’s how you know
          			Dot gov**The .gov means it’s official.**Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.
							      SSL**The site is secure.** The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 
			U.S. Food and Drug Administration
				
        Search
            Menu
							
						Search FDA
									
									Submit search 
		Featured
							Contact FDA
	                FDA Guidance Documents
	                Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
	                Press Announcements
	                Warning Letters
	                Advisory Committees
	                En Español

					Products
            Food
							Drugs
							Medical Devices
							Radiation-Emitting Products
							Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
							Animal and Veterinary
							Cosmetics
							Tobacco ProductsTopics
            About FDA
							Combination Products
							Regulatory Information
							Safety
							Emergency Preparedness
							International Programs
							News and Events
							Training and Continuing Education
							Inspections and Compliance
							Science and ResearchInformation For
            Consumers
	            Patients
	            Industry
	            Health Professionals
	            Federal, State and Local Officials 
 In this section:

                Food Safety During Emergencies

Food Safety During Emergencies

                        Protect Food and Water During Hurricanes and Other Storms
          Radiation Safety in the Food Supply
          Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Home
          Food
          Recalls, Outbreaks & Emergencies
          Food Safety During Emergencies
          Gulf of Mexico Oil SpillFood Safety During Emergencies Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
  
  	
    Subscribe to Email Updates
    Share
    Post
    Linkedin

    Email
    PrintFDA operates a mandatory safety program for all fish and fishery products under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and related regulations. The FDA program includes research, inspection, compliance, enforcement, outreach and the development of regulations and industry guidance. FDA works closely with NOAA and the states whenever commercial fishing waters are closed for public health reasons and again when they are reopened to harvest.

Below is information from FDA concerning the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill.

When the Gulf of Mexico oil spill began in 2010, the FDA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Gulf coast states took unprecedented steps to ensure that the seafood harvested from the Gulf was safe -- first by closing areas exposed to the oil and then by establishing a reopening protocol designed to ensure that seafood from any given area was safe from harmful oil and dispersant residues before the area reopened to harvest.

At the height of the oil spill more than one third of the federal waters in the Gulf and much of the state waters were closed to harvesting. After the oil began to dissipate, the states and federal government conducted extensive sampling and testing of fish, shrimp, crabs, and oysters. Only after all samples collected from an area passed both sensory and chemical testing, was a harvest area allowed to reopen.

All of the federal waters and all but a few state harvest waters have reopened and the tests have shown that the seafood from these reopened areas is as safe to eat as it was before the oil spill.

Still, just to be sure that we did not miss anything, federal and state officials continue to collect and test seafood from the Gulf. The seafood we have collected continues to be free from harmful oil and dispersant residues.

**Call 1-888-INFO-FDA** with questions or concerns about seafood or to report any seafood you have purchased that you suspect of being contaminated with oil.

Key Resources

Questions and Answers - frequently asked questions about the oil spill, harvest water closures, and water reopenings.
	Consumers Can Be Confident in the Safety of Gulf Seafood- an Op-Ed written by officials from FDA, NOAA, and Louisiana.
	Overview of Testing Protocol to Re-open Harvest Waters that were Closed in Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
	Protocol for Interpretation and Use of Sensory Testing and Analytical Chemistry Results for Re-Opening Oil-Impacted Areas Closed to Seafood Harvesting Due to The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 
	Procedure for Requesting NOAA/FDA Analysis of Seafood From A State Harvesting Area Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oi Spill
	Assessing the Impact of the Oil Spill  - includes surveillance samples, background on testing methods, and letters and memos from FDAResources For You

EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      02/05/2018
              
              
Regulated Product(s)
		 Food & BeveragesFood Safety During Emergencies

          
                        Protect Food and Water During Hurricanes and Other Storms
          Radiation Safety in the Food Supply
          Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
 Get Email Notifications on Seafood Topics
                          Get regular FDA email updates delivered on this topic to your inbox.
    Enter your email address to subscribe:
 Footer Links
    FDA Archive
          About FDA
          Accessibility
      Visitor Information
          Website Policies / Privacy
          No FEAR Act
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
      FOIA
          HHS.gov
          USA.gov
    Contact FDA
      Follow FDA on Facebook
      Follow FDA on X
      Follow FDA on Instagram
      Follow FDA on LinkedIn
      View FDA videos on YouTube
      Subscribe to FDA RSS feeds
    FDA Homepage
    Contact Number
      1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Back toTop