BILOXI – The Mississippi State University Extension Service will host a workshop through the Sea Grants Program on Aug. 26 to help seafood dealers and processors instill consumer confidence in seafood harvested from Gulf waters.

The workshop will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the MSU Coastal Research & Extension Center in Biloxi. Personnel from seafood processing firms, regulatory agencies and marketing programs are encouraged to attend.

Experts will provide information about seafood harvested from open waters and fisheries and go over guidelines enforced by state and federal authorities. They also will provide sensory training using seafood samples harvested from local Gulf waters.

Attendees will receive certificates for completing the workshop. This certification will be promoted to buyers across the nation.

“Our goal is to equip those in the Mississippi seafood industry with the tools to maintain consumer confidence,” said Ben Posadas, MSU associate Extension research professor. “We will promote the certification course to seafood buyers so they’ll be aware of the extra training that seafood processors have completed.”

To register for the workshop, visit http://www.coastal.msstate.edu/seafood_reg.html or contact Amanda Seymour at aseymour@ext.msstate.edu or (228) 546-1044. Space is limited.

Writer: Karen Templeton