It’s the weekend before Mardi Gras — do you know where your shrimp is coming from? A new study shows one-third of restaurants in Lafayette claim their shrimp is locally caught when it’s actually imported. Sean Richardson reports.
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Mardi Gras isn’t just for New Orleans – it’s something that the whole state celebrates. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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It’s the weekend before Mardi Gras — do you know where your shrimp is coming from? At some restaurants, the answer might be a tad misleading. A study found that in Lafayette, one-third of restaurants sampled that claimed to be serving locally-caught shrimp were actually serving imported shrimp instead. Sherry Blanchard, a board member at the Southern Shrimp Alliance, imported shrimp is a lot less safe.
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Louisiana’s seafood disclosure law, first enacted in 2008, was recently strengthened. As of the beginning of this year, restaurants must explicitly state seafood origins and include disclaimers if serving imported products. Blanchard says the law also enhances enforcement by the Louisiana Department of Health.
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Blanchard says the U-S needs to have higher standards Like Europe and Japan for imported seafood.
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Mardi Gras is a celebration that the entire State of Louisiana gets into, not just New Orleans. That includes the cities on the opposite end of the state – Shreveport and Bossier City.
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Stacy Brown, the president of Visit Shreveport-Bossier, says there will be two parades this weekend.
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Brown says Shreveport-Bossier City puts its own spin on Mardi Gras throws.
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Carnival season in Shreveport-Bossier City wraps up on Fat Tuesday with a children’s parade in the parking lot at Pierre Bossier Mall. Brown says in all, the Mardi Gras parades are a huge economic driver for the region.
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One big misconception is that Mardi Gras is strictly a New Orleans staple. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser has been working to dispel that notion. He got the idea to promote Mardi Gras as a family-friendly statewide celebration after talking to a counterpart at a lieutenant governor’s conference.
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Nungesser says each Mardi Gras celebration throughout the state is different.
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Nungesser says even those who regularly take in Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans should expand their horizons.
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Mardi Gras in Louisiana is a time of fun, parades, and celebration, but it also comes with risks—especially head injuries. Common causes include tripping on curbs, falling off floats, or getting hit while scrambling for beads. Ochsner Neurology Group Nurse Practitioner Kadyn Brooks says to stay safe, be aware of your surroundings,
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Brooks says to drink responsibly, as alcohol affects balance and coordination.
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Brooks says know the symptoms of head injuries and if you suspend a head injury to go to an urgent care facility.
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