The Bangladesh Department of Fisheries revoked the business and export licenses of Modern Seafood on Oct. 14. Following the announcement, authorities immediately sealed Modern Seafood's office and processing plant. Modern Seafood is one of the country's major shrimp exporters.
Bangladeshi Inspection and Quality Control office, sponsored by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) announced that the closure was related to a container of frozen shrimp shipped to Belgium in August.
During a random inspection by Belgian authorities, Modern Seafood's shrimp shipment was found to contain traces of nitrofuran, a bacterial-growth inhibitor that can be carcinogenic to humans. The use of nitrofuran in food is banned in the United States and the European Union.
A further investigation by the Department of Fisheries revealed that the shipment's quality-control documents might be fraudulent.
Both Modern Seafood and the Department of Fisheries didn't respond to inquiries regarding the issue.
