FDA Begins 2023 By Finding Nitrofurans in Indian and Ecuadorian Shrimp

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published detailed data regarding 41 seafood entry line refusals through at least the first two weeks of January, of which nine (22.0%) were of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics.

These nine entry line refusals originated from two shrimp exporters – one from India and one from Ecuador – that were added to an FDA Import Alert related to antibiotics in seafood last month. Moreover, because the FDA also added another Indian shrimp exporter, Mangala Seafoods, to an Import Alert for the presence of chloramphenicol in its shrimp on January 25, 2023, it is likely that there were additional refusals of shrimp entry lines for banned antibiotics during the second half of January that have not yet been reported.

Nevertheless, even with partial information for January, the nine entry lines of shrimp refused last month for the presence of veterinary drug residues was the most since June 2022.

The nine shrimp entry lines refused for antibiotic residues in January were for shipments from the following two shrimp exporters:

• Suryamitra Exim PVT. Ltd. (India), a company that was added to Import Alert 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”) for its shipments of shrimp since January 5, 2023, had six entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans by the Division of Southeast Imports on January 4, 2023; and

• Propemar S.A. (Ecuador), a company that was added to Import Alert 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”) for its shipments of shrimp since January 11, 2023, had three entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans by the Division of Southeast Imports on January 10, 2023.