The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on Sunday, 4 April, that six entry lines of shrimp were rejected from entering the country in March because they contained banned antibiotics.
The number of rejected entries fell sharply from February, which saw the FDA reject 14 shrimp entry lines because of banned antibiotics. However, the overall number of rejected seafood entry lines in March were 59, up from 50 in February.
Still, through the first three months of 2021, the FDA has turned away 33 shrimp entry lines for antibiotics. That nearly matches the FDA’s entire reported amount of 36 entry lines from 2020. It also puts the agency on track for its highest number of rejections since 2016.
Four companies were responsible for last month’s six rejections, according to a release from the Southern Shrimp Alliance. The companies are based in Bangladesh, China, India, and Vietnam.
Bangladesh-based Fresh Foods had three entry line turned away because the FDA's Division of West Coast Imports found the company's items contained veterinary drug residues on 17 March.
Fuqing Yihua Aquatic Food Co., Ltd. halso ad an entry line rejected because of veterinary drug residues on 11 March.. As a result, the SSA said the Chinese company is no longer on the “green list.” That list excludes companies from a specific country-wide import alert. According to Registrar Corp., the FDA issues such an alert when its agents discover a pattern of non-compliance from a specific country.
Apex Frozen Foods Pvt. Ltd. of India had an entry line refused by the FDA Division of West Coast Imports on 18 March because the shrimp were contaminated with nitrofurans and veterinary drug residues.
On the same day, Seavina Joint Stock Corporation, a Vietnamese importer, had an entry line denied because the Division of Northeast Imports determined the shrimp were contaminated with nitrofurans.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Food and Drug Administration
