(The Center Square) – Diners in northeast Louisiana may be getting shrimp different than desired.
A recent round of genetic testing found that none of 24 Monroe and Ruston restaurants complied with Louisiana’s seafood labeling law, which requires imported shrimp to be clearly identified on menus or signage.
SEAD Consulting conducted the tests Sept. 11–14 sampling shrimp dishes at local restaurants. The results showed that more than half of the dishes tested contained imported, farm-raised shrimp.
Seven of those were described on menus as Gulf or domestic shrimp, and in five cases restaurant staff verbally assured customers that the shrimp was local. Not one restaurant displayed the legally required signage identifying imported product.
The study found that 11 restaurants did serve authentic, wild-caught domestic shrimp, but even in those cases, labeling requirements were not met.
“This isn’t about forcing restaurants to change their menus – it’s about them standing by their word,” said Lance Nacio, a Louisiana shrimper and Louisiana Shrimp Task Force board member. “Diners deserve to get what they pay for, and shrimpers deserve their fair market share. Right now, both are being cheated.”
Alex Van Benthuysen, owner of Trio’s in Ruston, one of the restaurants serving authentic local shrimp, said his business works hard to source from Louisiana fishermen.
“You can definitively taste the difference between wild-caught and imported shrimp,” Benthuysen said. “We also want to support our community, just as they support us. That said, we’re only as good as our suppliers are, so there is a lot of trust in the equation.”
Louisiana’s seafood labeling laws are intended to protect both consumers and the state’s $1.3 billion shrimp industry by making it clear when imported product is being served. With imported, farm-raised shrimp often sold at a fraction of the cost of wild-caught Gulf shrimp, state officials and industry leaders worry that mislabeling undermines local fishermen and erodes consumer trust.
SEAD Consulting recommends that diners ask restaurants where their shrimp comes from, request to see packaging if unsure, and report suspected seafood fraud to local health authorities.
“This kind of testing is critical to keeping supply chains honest,” SEAD said in its release. “It’s the only way to ensure that Louisiana shrimpers – and Louisiana diners – aren’t being shortchanged.”
