This weekend, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released detailed data regarding sixty-four (64) seafood entry line refusals in December, none of which were for shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics. However, the FDA also released data regarding an additional entry line refusal of shrimp for the presence of banned antibiotics in November that was not previously reported.
As shown in the chart below, entry line refusals of shrimp for banned antibiotics in 2024 were higher than the total annual amount of entry line refusals reported in any year since 2016.
The additional previously unreported entry line of shrimp refused for banned antibiotics in November was attributed to a Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)-certified shrimp processor in China:
- Allied Kinpacific Food (Dalian) Co., Ltd. (China),a company that currently operates under a four-star BAP certification for its processing plant (P10945) but that is not currently included on the “green” list for Import Alert 16-131 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquacultured Shrimp, Dace, and Eel from China and Hong Kong SAR – Presence of New Animal Drugs and/or Unsafe Food Additives”), had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with unsafe additives and veterinary drug residues by the Division of West Coast Imports on November 30, 2024.
Notably, Allied Kinpacific Food (Dalian) Co., Ltd. is identified by BAP as having a valid certification for vannamei expiring on June 7, 2025 despite the fact that the company is not authorized to export shrimp to the United States as a result of the failure to meet the requirements to be listed on the FDA’s Import Alert 16-131 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquacultured Shrimp, Dace, and Eel from China and Hong Kong SAR – Presence of New Animal Drugs and/or Unsafe Food Additives”). In October, a shipment of shrimp from Allied Kinpacific Hong Kong Co Limited (Hong Kong) was refused by the Division of West Coast Imports for the presence of an unsafe additive. Like Allied Kinpacific Food (Dalian), Allied Kinpacific Hong Kong is also not currently included on the “green” list for Import Alert 16-131 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquacultured Shrimp, Dace, and Eel from China and Hong Kong SAR – Presence of New Animal Drugs and/or Unsafe Food Additives”).
Finally, the FDA again reported refusing entry lines of Indonesian shrimp for being short-weighted in December. Specifically, an entry line of shrimp from the Indonesian company Mega Marine Pride was refused for “added bulk” by the Division of West Coast Imports on each of three different days in December (the 9th, 18th, and 21st), while another entry line of shrimp from the company was refused for “added bulk” by the Division of Southeast Imports on December 5th. PT. Mega Marine Pride (P10071) currently operates under a four-star BAP certification for its processing plant. Last month, in response to the FDA’s reporting of entry line refusals of shrimp from Mega Marine Pride in November for “added bulk,” a representative of Mega Marine Pride notified the Southern Shrimp Alliance that the company had been removed from Import Alert 99-47 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Human Food Products that Appear to Be Adulterated for Economic Gain”) on October 7th. Consistent with that representation, Mega Marine Pride is not currently listed on Import Alert 99-47.