Thursday, May 10, 2007

Chinese Catfish Pollute Mississippi Shelves

Posted by Preston Lauterbach on Thu, May 10, 2007 at 4:00 AM

File this one away under “Globalization, Horrors of.” While no one should be particularly shocked to learn that a foreign-produced food had to be removed from American grocery store shelves, this story should raise eyebrows because of the food involved and the location of the grocery stores.

The food? Catfish. The location? Mississippi.

Lester Spell, Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce announced that samples of Chinese catfish taken from stores in Clarksdale, Starkville, Gulfport, and Meridian tested positive for banned antibiotics ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin.

The irony here, of course, is that catfish is one of Mississippi’s prime cash crops, ranking behind only cotton. Delta Pride, an Indianola, Mississippi-based catfish co-op is the largest processor of freshwater fish in the world.

It’s a good thing that those Kool-Aid pickles are available, or it’d be hard to find anything edible down there.

Pictured here is 2007 Miss Catfish, Erin Virginia Legg, crowned at the World Catfish Festival in Belzoni, Mississippi. They don’t make ‘em like that in China.

—Preston Lauterbach

Comments (1) RSS

Showing 1-1 of 1

Add a comment

excellent article,, now further updates... a human would have to eat 13.7 pounds 365 days a week for 45 years to have 1 full adult dose of the antibiotic, even the head of poison control in Miss said.."hogwash" on politics,,,,good job!

Posted by alangj on May 17, 2007 at 7:02 PM | Report this comment

Add a comment

ADVERTISEMENT

Most Commented On

  • Tommy West Fired at Memphis

    The University of Memphis announced the dismissal of football coach Tommy West at a press conference Monday in the school’s Athletic Office Building. With three games remaining in West’s ninth season at the helm, athletic director R.C. Johnson had seen enough to warrant a parting of ways ...

    • Nov 9, 2009
  • Memphis "Kid Reporter" Charms Today Show Hosts

    Deidra Shores, a 13 year old Colonial Middle school student, submitted a video audition to be a kid reporter for the Today Show ...
    • Oct 28, 2009
  • More»
ADVERTISEMENT

Flyer Flashback

Flyer Flashback

To mark the Flyer's 20th anniversary, we're looking back at stories from our first two decades.

Read Story

© 1996-2009

Contemporary Media
460 Tennessee Street, 2nd Floor | Memphis, TN 38103
Visit our other sites: Memphis Magazine | Memphis Parent | Memphis Business Quarterly
Powered by Foundation