A U.S. government spokesperson reacted sharply today to an EIN news story questioning the safety of gulf seafood, saying "the veracity of the federal government seafood safety protocol or results are not in question by any qualified scientist." EINNEWS said it stands by its story.

The official, Christine Patrick, the lead public affairs officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, demanded that EINNEWS withdraw its story.

NOAA and the Federal Food and Drug Administration earlier this week issued a joint statement giving the "all clear" to the consumption of Gulf of Mexico seafood.

The agencies based their approval on what they said were tests on 1,735 tissue samples including more than half of those collected to reopen Gulf of Mexico federal waters.