September 6, 2007

Bangladesh to improve safety measures to protect shrimp exports

Frozen food exporters in Bangladesh are calling for improved measures to identify banned antibiotics after exported shrimp shipments were found to be contaminated.

The detection of Nitrofuram metabolites and Choloramphenicol in shrimp had recently sparked off a re-call of exported products in Bangladesh, causing exporters to incur huge losses.

Exporters are now calling for the authorities to improve detection techniques for banned antibiotics in fish and seafood and are urging a better infrastructure for the industry, such such as more advanced fish processing plants.

The requests come ahead of a European Union Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) mission scheduled in October on which the country's shrimp export would depend. Besides visits to processing premises and production techniques, the mission is also likely to examine antibiotic testing procedures.

The EU and the US are the top 2 markets for shrimps from Bangladesh. Demand has been increasing, with revenues topping US$ 457.0 million in 2006-2007 Financial Year.

Shrimp export is the second largest revenue earner for the country.