Guarding the Bay Brand
Guarding the Bay brand
Ensuring that Chesapeake crab meat is actually from there
Date published: 1/16/2011
By Chelyen Davis
The Free Lance-Star
RICHMOND
You could be sure that canned crab meat claiming to be from the Chesapeake Bay really was from there if a bill filed in the General Assembly were to become law.
The bill, from Del. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, says that canned crab labeled as Chesapeake Bay crab would have to have at least 51 percent of its meat from the Bay.
Lewis said his bill is more trying to prevent a future problem than address any current issues.
“There’s been a lot of competition from foreign crab meat,” he said.
His aim is to keep other countries from using the Chesapeake Bay label.
“Protect the brand,” Lewis said.
Billy Howeth at Capt. Faunce Seafood in Montross said federal regulations already require crab processors to label the country of origin of the meat, and whether it came from a farm or was wild.
He said he isn’t sure whether Lewis’ bill would actually change any current practices, but said it’s important to protect the Bay label.
“We certainly don’t want to get the Chesapeake Bay crab meat misrepresented with something else,” he said.
Chelyen Davis: 5404/368-5028
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
Artlicle Link http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/012011/01162011/600906
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