The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now released information regarding entry line refusals for the entire month of April. In total, 19 of the 114 (16.7%) of the entry line refusals reported for this month have been of shrimp for reasons related to banned antibiotics.
The FDA’s 19 entry line refusals for the month of April were the most for any month this year. Indian shrimp exporters (twelve) and Vietnamese shrimp exporters (twelve) have accounted for the majority of shrimp entry line refusals in 2017. All twelve refusals of Indian shrimp entry lines for banned antibiotics took place last month.
The nineteen shrimp entry lines refused by the FDA for banned antibiotics in April were from China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam and were reported by six different FDA districts:
- Kalyan Aqua & Marine Exports India (India), a company that is not currently listed on Import Alert 16-124, Import Alert 16-127, or Import Alert 16-129, had ten entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues in the New Orleans District;
- Minh Phu Seafood Corporation (Vietnam), a company that was added to Import Alert 16-124 for sulfamethoxazole in its shrimp on February 22, 2017 after its affiliate Minh Qui Seafood Co., Ltd. had been added to that Import Alert for sulfamethoxazole in its shrimp on July 22, 2016, had four entry lines refused for shrimp contaminated with chloramphenicol in the Florida District;
- Suryamitra Exim Pvt Ltd (India), a company that was added to Import Alert 16-129 for nitrofurans in its shrimp on March 15, 2017, had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans and veterinary drug residues in the New England District;
- Bluepark Seafoods (India), a company that is not currently listed on Import Alert 16-124, Import Alert 16-127, or Import Alert 16-129, had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues in the New York District;
- Narong Seafood Co., Ltd. (Thailand), a company that was added to Import Alert 16-129 for nitrofurans in its shrimp on June 13, 2016, had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with nitrofurans and veterinary drug residues in the San Francisco District;
- Fuqing Dongwei Aquatic Products (China), a company that has not been exempted from Import Alert 16-131, had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues and an unsafe additive in the Los Angeles District;and
- Donggang Tianquan Aquatic Food C (China), a company that has not been exempted from Import Alert 16-131, had one entry line refused for shrimp contaminated with veterinary drug residues in the Los Angeles District.