USDA targets catfish sales

The Obama administration is cracking down on sales of catfish.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this week new inspection standards for catfish before it can be sold as food. The new rules stem from a congressional mandate.

The catfish inspection standards will broadly apply to “all fish of the order Siluriformes.” 

“Fish with unusual gross deformities caused by disease or chemical contamination are not to be used for human food,” the USDA wrote in the Federal Register.

The agency is also issuing labeling standards for defining catfish, listing the country of origin and including safe-handling instructions for consumers.

The inspection standards stem from the 2014 farm bill.

The rules go into effect in 90 days.