Shrimp: Buyer Beware

shrimp

A few days ago I had some shrimp from a large local retailer and about 6 hours later developed GI symptoms of bloating and diarrhea 

Seemed consistent with toxicity and food poisoning and then by chance, even though not looking for it, the next day encountered some interesting information about the shrimp industry

Buyer Beware

Shrimp from an energy science view is a great animal food can be used for all energy patterns, in moderation for Pitta Kapha and all the time for Pitta Vata and Vata Kapha

But in my chance encounter with an article from the Nutrition Research Center it's estimated that possibly 90% of shrimp in the market come from polluted waters and in order to reduce the toxicity, antibiotics and pesticides are used in the shrimp farms  The source of shrimp for the US may be from farms in eastern Asia, particularly China

In other words the quality control of these shrimp farms is highly suspect and deserves our attention

Consumer Protection

Fortuanately individual companies in the shrimp industry are publicizing their farming methods and letting the consumers know that their open water techniques of farming are caring for the animal product they send to market

But even better companies such as Whole Foods are taking an active role in ensuring not only that the products they carry in their stores are quality, go a step further in delivering that information to the consumer who's interested, and investigate if the farming techniques are in compliance with green standards

Freshwater Shrimp

There is even a US association to support the growth of the freshwater shrimp industry and support quality control measures

From an energy science nutritional perspective freshwater fish are balancing for all energy patterns so they are an excellent animal food source  On top of this freshwater fish are as good a source of the important omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids as seafood and certainly would be easier to farm and harvest

What To Do

So from my food poisoning experience there has come for me some real value  It might have not been the shrimp that caused my transient upset but the probability is fairly high

But this serendipitous journey has led me to understand the vagaries of food production and the potential health hazards particularly around industries that are not responsible

A few suggestions for shrimp purchases

                  Question the source of where the shrimp come from

                  Buy when you can from reputable market places

                 Consider freshwater shrimp or fish

Ciao until next time                                             To health as a Skill  Love DrBill

Leave a Reply