The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released data on seafood line-of-entry rejections in May. Among the results, three of those rejections (2.9%) were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics.
During the first five months of this year, FDA has rejected eighteen incoming shrimp lines for banned antibiotics. These figures represent a value significantly below the rate of rejections over the past two years. Moreover, for the time being, 2023 remains at record numbers.
In May, an Indian and a Chinese shrimp exporter were responsible for originating the three shrimp entry lines that were rejected due to banned antibiotics.
On the one hand, the Indian company Milesh was added to Import Alert 16-129. This article is related to "Detention without physical examination of seafood products due to nitrofurans" for its shrimp shipments on June 1, 2023. This denied it an entry line for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans and veterinary drug residues by the Southwest Imports Division.
On the other hand, the Chinese company Dalian Kowa Foods has rejected two incoming lines for shrimp. The shrimp was contaminated with veterinary drug residues each month since November last year.
In addition, the FDA has taken action against other companies as well. In May, the U.S. agency reported the denial of twenty shrimp entry lines from seven different shrimp exporters due to the presence of salmonella and/or filth.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a crucial role in safeguarding public health. It accomplishes this by ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices. Additionally, the FDA prioritizes the safety of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Thus, the organization promotes public health by facilitating the development of safer, more effective, and affordable medical products while providing accurate, science-based information to the public. Additionally, the FDA strengthens national counterterrorism efforts by ensuring food supply security and supporting the creation of medical products to address emerging health threats.
