HACCP, Seafood, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Seafood is an important component of the American diet. Annual per capita consumption in the United States is approximately 15 pounds. Consumers spent about $46 billion for seafood in 1997. Canned tuna is the most commonly consumed product, followed by shrimp, pollock, and salmon. These products, along with cod, catfish, clams, flatfish, crabs, and scallops, comprise approximately 82% of the seafood consumed in this country (1). In recent years, the United States typically has been both the second largest importer and the second largest exporter of seafood.