NANCY MACE BACKS SHRIMP LABELING BILL, TRANSPARENCY FOR SOUTH CAROLINA CONSUMERS AND SHRIMPERS

Congresswoman Nancy Mace voiced support for H. 4248, the shrimp country-of-origin labeling bill heading to a Senate committee hearing. The legislation would require all shrimp and shrimp products sold or served in South Carolina to clearly display their country of origin.

“South Carolina’s shrimpers are some of the hardest working people in this state, and they are getting undercut by foreign imports, which in some cases have been contaminated with radioactive materials, while consumers have no idea what they’re buying or eating,” said Congresswoman Nancy Mace. “This bill is just commonsense. If you’re selling shrimp in South Carolina, consumers deserve to know where it came from. Our shrimpers deserve a level playing field.”

South Carolina’s shrimping industry has faced mounting pressure from imported shrimp, often produced under lower safety and labor standards than those required of domestic fishermen. H. 4248 would apply to retail sales and commercial food establishments, requiring menus and labels to clearly and conspicuously disclose country of origin.

Last year, the FDA warned the public not to eat, sell, or serve certain imported frozen shrimp from an Indonesian firm after U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in shipping containers.

The contaminated product was ultimately blocked from entering commerce, but the incident exposed a critical gap. Without country-of-origin labeling, South Carolina consumers have no way of knowing where their shrimp came from or what it may have been exposed to. H. 4248 closes that gap.

“This is about protecting our coastal communities, our way of life, and our consumers,” said Rep. Mace. “As governor, I will always stand with South Carolina’s shrimpers.”