[CTC] FDA Issues Import Alert On Malaysian Shrimp Over Antibiotics; DeLauro Links To TPP

[Arthur Stamoulis]

INSIDE US TRADE
FDA Issues Import Alert On Malaysian Shrimp Over Antibiotics; DeLauro Links To TPP
April 18, 2016

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an import alert for Malaysian shrimp after detecting a “significant increase” in antibiotics that pose risks to consumers.

The import alert allows FDA to detain Malaysian shrimp imports without inspecting them, and to demand evidence from importers that the shrimp meets FDA standards.

“From October 1, 2014, through September 30, 2015, FDA detected a significant increase in the presence of nitrofurans and chloramphenicol residues in shrimp products imported from Peninsular Malaysia,” the alert states. Nearly 140 samples of shrimp from Malaysia were tested during that time, and 45 tested positive for nitrofuran or chloramphenicol residues.

“As the aquaculture industry continues to expand, concerns regarding the use of unapproved animal drugs and unsafe chemicals, and the misuse of animal drugs during aquaculture production has increased substantially,” FDA writes in its alert. “There is clear scientific evidence that the use of these compounds during the various stages of aquaculture can result in the presence of residues in the edible portion of the aquacultured products and that consumption of these products may have an adverse impact on human health. A concern is the risk of prolonged exposure of consumers to carcinogens such as nitrofurans and chloramphenicol.”

The antibiotics can also contribute to antimicrobial resistance in humans, FDA states.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said in a statement that the import alert “underscores a fact that many of us already know to be true: that lax food safety systems in Malaysia undermine the health and safety of the American consumer. It is unconscionable that we have continued to allow foreign shrimp to flood the American market when such a high number have been found to contain banned antibiotics. I urge the FDA to take every action to keep this shrimp out of American distribution centers, grocery stores, restaurants, and homes.”

DeLauro said she wrote “several letters” over the last few years urging that the administration “prioritize food safety in trade negotiations and to ensure that the Trans-Pacific Partnership does not undermine our food safety network. However, my repeated calls, and those of my colleagues in Congress and millions of concerned Americans, were ignored. Under TPP, the U.S. will only face more obstacles in dealing with imports and illegal antibiotics. At the same time, it will be easier for foreign exporters to challenge detentions and push seafood into the U.S. market.”

DeLauro is a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the subcommittee with FDA oversight authority.
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