Shreveport Shrimp Fraud: 58% of Restaurants Mislabel Imports

SHREVEPORT, LA – Bad news on the food front for Shreveport.

SEAD Consulting recently did a test of shrimp served in local restaurants to find out if they are serving Louisiana Gulf shrimp or imports. The data shows 58% of restaurants checked in Shreveport were implying they were serving Gulf shrimp when the seafood was actually imported. The company used Rapid ID Genetic testing on the shrimp (the RIGHTTest™) to gather the data.

The company tested shrimp at 24 Shreveport-Bossier area restaurants between March 8 and 10^th of this year. Of those 24 restaurants, 17 of them served imported shrimp. That’s about 71% of the restaurants. The numbers also show that 14 of the businesses did not have the shrimp properly labeled as imports which is now required in Louisiana. That’s how the 58% non compliant number is gathered.

What’s the Shrimp Import Rate in Other Key Louisiana Cities?

33% of Lafayette restaurants check served improperly labeled shrimp. That number is 30% in Baton Rouge. New Orleans was the best performer in this latest report with a shrimp fraud rate of just 13%.

What Restaurants in Shreveport Violate the Shrimp Policy?

Well, I’m not sure we will get that information. The list has been provided to the Louisiana Department of Health for possible enforcement of the law. But that list has not yet been publicly released.

SEAD COO Erin Williams says “What was shocking to me, is that six of the 24 restaurants were blatantly being deceptive by labeling dishes as “Gulf shrimp” (not just implying it through décor, location and imagery), and served the SEAD investigation team imported shrimp instead.”

The report says these fraudulent practices misleads consumers, but also “undermines Louisiana’s shrimping industry.”

READ MORE: High Costs of Eating Out in Shreveport

Rodney Olander is Chairman of the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force and he says “This is a blow to the culture of Louisiana, where authenticity in food is paramount. When consumers are misled, it hurts local shrimpers and damages the reputation of our beloved seafood industry. We have the support of Southern Louisiana, but clearly not the entire state."

These 7 Shreveport Area Restaurants Passed the Shrimp Test with Flying Colors

1. Chuck Wagon Crawfish, 1209 E. Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport, LA 71105.
2. Copeland’s of New Orleans, 1665 E. Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport, LA 71105.
3. The Crabby Crawfish, 8680 Youree Dr., Shreveport, LA 71115.
4. Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, 777 Margaritaville Way, Bossier City, LA 71111.
5. Flying Burger and Seafood, 3127 Airline Dr., Bossier City, LA 71109.
6. The Noble Savage, 417 Texas St. Shreveport, LA 71106.
7. Oyster Bar & Grille, 855 Pierremont Rd., Suite 157, Shreveport, LA 71106.