ATLANTA SEAFOOD DISTRIBUTOR FINED $114,000 OVER OYSTERS

March 8, 2003
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Peralte C. Paul, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Georgia Department of Agriculture fined a 17-month-old
Atlanta seafood distributor $114,000 for violating state laws
that govern the handling of raw oysters. Because it was the first
violation for Country Meat & Seafood LLC, the company only paid
$12,000. The remaining $102,000 is suspended provided no further
violations occur in the next two years, Agriculture Commissioner
Tommy Irvin said. Kim Dang, owner of Country Meat & Seafood,
could not be reached for comment. The company was cited for
receiving restricted-use oysters and handling oysters without
state certification. Restricted-use oysters are those that have
been compromised or otherwise damaged, said Cameron Smoak,
assistant commissioner for food safety. Though they're suitable
for eating, they have to be processed further before consumption
and cannot be sold as fresh or eaten raw, Smoak said.