June 21, 2007 

Aqua product exporters in China's Jiangsu province urged to be mindful of foreign import standards

US state Alabama has recently halted imports of Chinese catfish after tests revealed the presence of flouroquinolone residues. Authorities in neighbouring state Mississippi have also asked five retailers to stop selling Chinese catfish.

More than 30 shipments of Chinese catfish had since been rejected, one of which was from Jiangsu province. Officials in Jiangsu had lately urged local exporters to be mindful of import standards set by destination countries. Otherwise, it may have serious implications for the province's export growth.

According to Ding Chengxun, assistant director of Jiangsu's Ocean and Fishery Bureau, the US is a major market for catfish. As such, Chinese exporters must be well-informed about US food safety standards in order to avoid further shipment refusals.

Fluoroquinolone, a member of the quinolone group of antibiotics, is approved for used in China, EU, Japan and Hong Kong but standards differ in the US. As major catfish processing centres, US states Alabama and Mississippi have set a zero-tolerance for flouroquinolones.