The U.S. Food and Drug Administration refused 5.6 percent of shrimp imports in August due to banned antibiotics.
Through August, there have been a total of 33 shrimp entry lines refused for reasons related to banned antibiotics.
“This was the second highest number of entry lines refused for antibiotic contamination this year,” said the Southern Shrimp Alliance in a statement.
In addition, the FDA refused two entry lines of shrimp for salmonella in August, it reported; both shipments were from India. The FDA has now refused 62 entry lines of shrimp for salmonella through the first eight months of 2018, of which the vast majority originate from India, SSA said.
The shrimp shipments that were refused due to banned antibiotics were from Royale Marine Impex Pvt. Ltd. in India (four entry lines refused) and Edhayam Frozen Foods PVT Ltd. in India (one shipment), because it was contaminated with chloramphenicol, which was deemed poisonous by the Division of Southwest Imports.
OceanBest (M) Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia also had one line refused for veterinary drug residues or “unsafe additives.”
