| The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) oversees fisheries management in the
United States, and through the 1946 Agricultural Marketing Act, provides a
voluntary inspection service to the industry. The NOAA Seafood Inspection
Program offers a variety of professional inspection services which assure
compliance with all applicable food regulations. In addition, product
quality evaluation, grading and certification services on a product lot
basis are also provided. Benefits include the ability to apply official
marks, such as the U.S. Grade A, Processed Under Federal Inspection (PUFI)
and Lot Inspection.
The services provided by NOAA
include the following:
- Establishment Sanitation
Inspection
- Process and Product Inspection
- Product Grading
- Product Lot Inspection
- Laboratory Analyses
- Training
- Consultation
These services can be provided nationwide, in U.S.
territories, and in foreign countries. All types of establishments such as
vessels, processing plants, and retail facilities may receive these
services. All edible product forms ranging from whole fish to formulated
products, as well as fish meal products used for animal foods, are
eligible for inspection and certification. The official government forms
and certificates issued by USDC inspectors are legal documents recognized
in any U.S. court.
For information,
contact:
Seafood Inspection Program
1315 East-West Highway · Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301)713-2355 · Fax: (301)713-1081
Toll Free 800-422-2750
Acting Director, Richard V. Cano
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