News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Seafood testing campaign ahead of Super Bowl raises awareness of foreign shrimp • Louisiana Illuminator

Published

3 months ago

February 4, 2025

Staff Editor

lailluminator.com – Wesley Muller – 2025-02-04 05:00:00

Seafood testing campaign ahead of Super Bowl raises awareness of foreign shrimp

by Wesley Muller, Louisiana Illuminator
February 4, 2025

A new round of genetic seafood testing conducted for a state advisory panel detected foreign shrimp that was falsely presented as domestic in a small percentage of the restaurants sampled in New Orleans, despite a new state law that forbids the practice.

Sead Consulting, a Houston, Texas, company, made headlines last year when it detected mostly foreign shrimp served at the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City. It announced Monday that it tested seafood at 24 randomly selected restaurants ahead of Super Bowl LIX and found three had served foreign, farm-raised shrimp while billing their catch as local.

All 24 restaurants had explicitly advertised their shrimp as either “Gulf” or “authentic” on their food menus when Sead undercover inspectors collected samples Jan. 14-19, according to company spokeswoman Glenda Beasley.

Sead launched its testing efforts last year at restaurants and festivals along the Gulf Coast as domestic shrimpers and governments try to crack down on the influx of cheap foreign catch flooding the U.S. seafood market over the past two decades.

“While New Orleans has the lowest shrimp fraud rate we’ve seen in our multi-state study so far, the deception we did uncover is particularly blatant,” Sead Consulting executive Erin Williams said in the release. “These restaurants aren’t just using suggestive imagery and wording — they are explicitly marketing their shrimp as ‘Gulf’ or ‘authentic’ while serving something else.”

It is illegal to misrepresent imported seafood as local and can result in heavy fines and, in some cases, even felony criminal charges at the federal level. On the regulatory side, the Federal Trade Commission prohibits restaurants from using misleading menu descriptions, slogans, decorations or imagery, such as nets or photos of shrimp boats on their walls, that suggest their seafood is local when they’re actually serving imported farm-raised fare.

There have been 2,600 violations of Louisiana’s imported shrimp law — and no fines

Additionally, a Louisiana law that took effect this year ushered in heavier fines for false seafood labeling and required restaurants to clearly state the country of origin of seafood on their menus. Similar state laws have not been enforced in the past.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association, which state lawmakers have asked to help make restaurant owners aware of the new law, did not respond to requests for comment Monday made by phone and email.

Sead does not disclose the names of restaurants found to be misrepresenting their seafood. Instead, the company said it prefers to publicly list the restaurants that are operating truthfully.

In December, the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force, an advisory panel for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, asked Sead Consulting to analyze shrimp from restaurants across multiple cities in an effort to eliminate all shrimp fraud in the state.

“Customers deserve to know exactly what they’re eating, and our shrimping communities must be able to trust that restaurants using local shrimp imagery and language are genuinely selling that product,” Louisiana Shrimp Task Force member Andrew Blanchard said in a statement.

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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

More rain and thunderstorms expected Saturday

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – WDSU News – 2025-05-03 09:43:36

SUMMARY: More rain and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday, with a small chance of strong storms producing gusty winds or hail. A stationary front will bring rain in the afternoon, clearing by evening, leaving cooler, less humid conditions for Sunday. Temperatures will be in the 50s on the North Shore and near 60 in the metro area, with a breezy, comfortable day ahead. The upcoming week will bring a better chance for rain, especially on Wednesday and Thursday, as a cold front approaches. The Kentucky Derby may experience scattered rain but no severe weather expected.

More rain and thunderstorms expected Saturday

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News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

‘The Light Switch’ Episode 4: Risk and rewards from the Angola Prison Rodeo

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2025

Staff Editor

lailluminator.com – Louisiana Illuminator – 2025-05-03 05:00:00

by Louisiana Illuminator, Louisiana Illuminator
May 3, 2025

This week’s episode of “The Light Switch” focuses entirely on the Angola Prison Rodeo, now in its 60th year at Louisiana State Penitentiary.

While the rest of the state is deep into its unofficial festival season, about 75 incarcerated men take part in a rodeo that’s not your traditional apple pie, bucking broncos and fancy horses event.

Its critics describe it more like a sordid gladiator exhibition from peak Roman Empire times. They say this exploitation of inmates reflects outdated views on incarceration in Louisiana, a state where more than 1,000 of every 100,000 residents are behind bars according to the Promise of Justice Initiative.

But the rodeo also has its supporters – and some of the most ardent are the inmates who are part of the show. Reporter Piper Hutchinson attended the event last month and heard why they see the rodeo as a key part of positive prison culture. Read more about her visit to “The Wildest Show in the South.”

There are two ways to listen to “The Light Switch” …

Spotify (listen below on the embedded player or use this link)

Apple (listen with the embedded player or use this link)

The post ‘The Light Switch’ Episode 4: Risk and rewards from the Angola Prison Rodeo appeared first on lailluminator.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The content of this article presents both sides of the issue surrounding the Angola Prison Rodeo, offering perspectives from both critics and supporters, including the inmates who participate. The tone of the article is neutral, providing factual details about the rodeo’s history and the contrasting views on its ethical implications. The language used does not overtly favor one side over the other, and the content mainly seeks to inform the audience about the ongoing debate without pushing a clear ideological stance. The article succeeds in portraying multiple viewpoints, making it a balanced and factual report on a complex issue.

News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Be prepared for severe storms later today

Published

2 days ago

May 2, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – KSAT 12 – 2025-05-02 10:06:20

SUMMARY: Be prepared for severe storms later today, especially in San Antonio. Rain chances are low until after lunch but will rise by early afternoon with storms forming in the Hill Country. By late afternoon and evening, there’s about a 70% chance of rain, continuing through midnight. The storms are driven by fronts from the north, ample moisture, and upper-level energy, leading to potential strong to severe storms with gusty winds, hail, and localized flooding. Tornado risk is low but present. Tomorrow will be cooler with lingering clouds, dry conditions, and temperatures around 79°F. More storms are possible next week.