Rapibhat Chandarasrivongs, Thailand’s agriculture minister, is weighing in on a U.S. TV news report questioning the safety of seafood imports. The report, which aired on “Today” and “NBC Nightly News” on 17 November, claimed both federal and state agencies are consistently finding trace amounts of banned substances like chloramphenicol in seafood imports.
The report cited five countries for exporting “tainted” seafood — China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Though Thailand wasn’t on the list, Rapibhat emphasized that the shrimp and other species originating from Thailand consistently meet and exceed both U.S. and global food-safety standards. Thailand is the No. 1 supplier of shrimp to the U.S. market.
Rapibhat said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met to develop a response to the report. At the sixth ASEAN Agricultural Attaché meeting in Washington, D.C., hosted by Thailand on 19 November, participants agreed that action is necessary to protect their members’ common interests.
“Each country, especially those who were mentioned by name in the report, will prepare information certifying that their seafood production processes are in compliance with global and U.S. standards. Member countries also plan to reach out to their counterparts in the United States and their relevant agencies … to provide assurance of their food-safety and quality standards,” said Rapibhat.
“For our part, Thailand will continue its active engagement with United States agencies. Among other actions, Thailand will propose that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conduct further capacity enhancement in ensuring food safety of [farmed seafood] to assure the public of our high-quality food standards. Furthermore, several Thai seafood producers are now devoting more resources to integrating environmental practices and corporate social responsibility throughout their business practices.”
The FDA also responded to the report, stressing that there is “no imminent health hazard to American consumers.”
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