September 11, 2009

Bangladeshi self-imposed ban on shrimp exports to EU countries is likely to be withdrawn soon as national experts have confirmed that poultry feed is the main source of toxic nitrofuran, which was found at higher level in some export consignments.

 

Sources said a national working committee has confirmed that the poultry feed is the main source of toxic antibiotic after testing more than 300 samples since the government imposed the export ban in May last for six month.

 

Official sources said export-related barriers have also come to an end after Belgium, from where highest 42 red alerts were imposed on the Bangladesh consignments, has changed their methodology to detect health hazardous antibiotic.

 

Belgian authorities detected semi-carbadise (SEM), a metabolite of nitrofurazon, from Bangladesh consignments after they took the whole part instead of standard practice of flesh parts of the shrimp, where the toxic element was not found, for analysis under its new procedure.

 

Authorities said Belgium veterinary authority restored the standard practice last month after the new methodology faced harsh criticism by its own experts.

 

Though the export-related restriction has already been removed, the government is still not ready to withdraw the ban as it needs to confirm about some other issues to make the nearly US$500 million export market stable.