November 15, 2016

 

US refusals for antibiotic-laced shrimp in Oct. lowest in 3 years
 

 

The US refused entry to 142 seafood entry lines in October, of which only 1 (0.7%) was of shrimp rejected for reasons related to banned antibiotics.

 

This was the lowest number of antibiotic-related refusals of shrimp since October 2013.  For the year, there have been 113 total entry lines of shrimp for banned antibiotics, data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed.

 

The Southern Shrimp Alliance reported that the shrimp entry line refused by the FDA for antibiotics in October was from a company in Vietnam named Frozen Seafoods Factory No. 32 (F.32), which is not currently listed on Import Alert 16-129 or Import Alert 16-124. It had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues in the Southwest District.

 

Continued use of antibiotics

 

The small number of reported refusals for shrimp contaminated with banned antibiotics does not, however, appear to indicate that the use of antibiotics has been eliminated from shrimp farming.  Other major shrimp-importing countries reported significant action regarding shrimp imports in October.

 

For example, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) reported that last month:

 

-- A shipment was rejected by the agency from the Huy Nam Seafoods Co. Ltd. (Plant Reg. No. DL 344) of Vietnam for fluoroquinolones;

 

-- Shunde Bangmin Aquaculture Farms (4400/AC076) of China was added to the CFIA's Mandatory Inspection List for fluoroquinolones; and

 

-- The shrimp exporter Falcon Marine Exports Ltd. (Plant Reg. No. 430) of India was added to the CFIA's Mandatory Inspection List for nitrofurans.

 

Of the 61 total shipments refused entry into Japan in October because of violations of the Food Sanitation Law, seven (11.5%) were for shipments of shrimp products contaminated with banned antibiotics. Six of these shipments originated in Vietnam and one in India.
 
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