Frozen shrimp. (Photo: Stock File)

Rejections of tainted Indian shrimp keep growing

UNITED STATES
Friday, May 06, 2016, 23:50 (GMT + 9)

A new report from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reveals that 171 imported seafood entry lines were rejected in April for reasons related to banned antibiotics, and that 20 of these lines (11.7 per cent) were of shrimp.

Through the first third of this year, the FDA has rejected a total of 45 entry lines of shrimp for banned antibiotics, reports the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

The 20 entry line rejections in April involved four companies from three different countries and were reported by four different regional offices of the FDA.

• Five Star Marine Exports Pvt. Limited (India) had nine entry lines rejected for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues and nitrofurans in the New York District and had another seven entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues, nitrofurans, and salmonella in the New York District.
   
• Comercializadora de Mariscos Dona Chayo SA de CV (Mexico) had one entry line rejected for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues and nitrofurans in the Southwest District. This was the first rejection reported by the FDA of a shrimp shipment from Mexico for banned antibiotics since 2007.
   
• Rongcheng Donghua Foods Co. Ltd. (China) had two entry lines rejected for breaded shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues in the Los Angeles District.
   
• Zhanjiang Regal Integrated Marine Resources Co., Ltd. (China) had one entry line rejected for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans in the Florida District.

Sixteen of the 20 shrimp entry line rejections in April were for shipments from India.

Last year, a record total of 34 entry lines of shrimp from India were rejected for reasons related to banned antibiotics. In just four months of 2016, the FDA has already reported 31 entry lines of shrimp from India rejected for the same reasons.