July 22, 2008

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may ease restrictions imposed last year on Chinese seafood processors after inspections of some firms in China, according to a senior FDA official.

Last year, the FDA restricted imports of some Chinese-raised fish after detecting prohibited chemicals that may cause serious health concerns in the products. China and its seafood producers have stepped up on its testing and safety controls in reply, and the percentage of shipments testing positive for the chemicals has dropped from about 25 percent to less than 6 percent, said Don Kraemer, deputy director of the FDA's Office of Food Safety.

FDA inspectors audited 13 seafood processors in China this month and the decision of whether to lift restrictions on any of the plants is expected to finalise within weeks. Only one Chinese company was exempted from the testing because it has proven fish quality, and the 13 companies were selected by the Chinese government for FDA review.

Kraemer said if the FDA accepts the quality of Chinese inspections of the plants, it will rely more on Chinese inspections in granting future exemptions as the import restrictions have affected 500 Chinese companies, far more than the FDA could handle.

Exempting more companies would quicken shipments and reduce import costs from China, a large supplier of shrimps and catfish for the US.

The restrictions have affected Chinese farm-raised shrimp, catfish, eel, basa and dace. The products are required to be free of certain antibiotics and substances if they are to enter the US.