BATON ROUGE, La. — About 100 Louisiana restaurants were found violating a new law requiring them to label if they sell imported shrimp or crawfish.
The Louisiana Department of Health began enforcing the new law on Sept. 1. WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge reports that the health department has visited about 3,200 restaurants in the state and found about 100 businesses that were not following the law.
The television station says that the violations are considered "non-critical" because it does not put customers' health at risk. But, if a restaurant has five or more non-critical violations, the health department will schedule a reinspection.
Restaurants have to post information about imported crawfish or shrimp on menus. If they don't use menus, they have to post signs at their main entrances.
Lawmakers unanimously backed the requirement earlier this year, and Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the measure into law.
The health department tells WBRZ that the goal of the law was not to issue fines to restaurants, but to help consumers know where the seafood they are served comes from.
The law, sponsored by Lafourche Parish Rep. Jerry "Truck" Gisclair, had strong backing from Louisiana's seafood industry, which has criticized foreign imports. Gisclair said too little testing is done on seafood entering the United States.
The health department inspects restaurants three times a year.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.