September 2, 2005

Thailand warns its seafood exporters on fluoroquinolone use

Thailand's Foreign Trade Department has warned the country's seafood exporters against the use of fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotic drugs, which would cause a chemical residue in their foods and have been prohibited by the US.

US state Louisiana have recently suspended imports of Vietnamese basa fish found with the fluoroquinolone residue, said the department's director-general Rachane Potjanasuntorn.

The move prompted other US states to start similar stringent import quality restrictions.

Rachane added that the restrictions would soon apply to other major seafood-exporting countries like Thailand.

Fluoroquinolone residue is expected to be detected in other types of seafoods.