(IntraFish) US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced Wednesday the United States and the European Union will soon treat each other's organic standards as equivalent to their own, reported National Public Radio.
However, USDA Spokesperson Soo Kim told IntraFish that since current USDA regulations don't include standards for organic aquaculture, "the terms of the agreement actually excludes organic aquaculture."
The change will start June 1.
As IntraFish reported last year, the U.S. organic food industry is worth more than $25 billion (€17 billion) annually and is growing at between 5 percent and 8 percent a year. Organic seafood is sold in other parts of the world, and U.S. standards would open up a large, lucrative market for many seafood companies.