Since February, FDA Has Added Thirteen More Shrimp Exporters, Including BAP-Certified Companies, to Antibiotic Import Alerts

Since the beginning of February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has added thirteen (13) additional shrimp companies to either Import Alerts 16-124 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquaculture Seafood Products Due to Unapproved Drugs”) or 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”).  The numerous additions to these two Import Alerts follows the heightened number of reported refusals of shrimp entry lines for reasons related to the presence of banned veterinary drugs.

 

Over the last five weeks, nine Malaysian shrimp shippers and four Indian shrimp shippers have been added to either Import Alert 16-124 or Import Alert 16-129.  As indicated below, two of the four newly-listed Indian shrimp shippers operate facilities certified through the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program.

 

 

• CAB Marine Resources Sdn. Bhd., Jalan Datok Keramat 2235, Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-124 for “Chloramphenicol; AOZ (3-amino-2-oxazolidinone)” on March 10, 2015.  The company CAB Marine Resources Sdn. Bhd. was already listed, at the same address, on Import Alert 16-129 for “AOZ – Nitrofuran metabolite” in “Shrimp” since August 7, 2012;

 

• Seng Enterprise Seafood Supplier (1986), 87-D Kelawai Road, George Town, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-124 for “Chloramphenicol” on February 20, 2015;

 

• Aquatech Venture Sdn. Bhd., Jalan Kampung Minyak 18, TMN Perind. Bkt Minyak, Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “Nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on February 19, 2015;

 

• Fishergold Cold Storage Sdn. Bhd., Plot 99B, Jin Perindustrian Bkt Minyak 5, Kawasan Perindustrian Bkt Minyak, Seberang Perai Tengah, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 10, 2015;

• Ocean Pioneer Food Sdn. Bhd., 12P, Jalan Pelantar, Pantai Remis, Perak,Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 10, 2015;

 

• Lean Heng Huat Fishery, 7, Tingkat Binjai 30, Taman Sri Rambai, Bukit Mertajam, MY-07, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 10, 2015;

 

• Penshrimp Sdn. Bhd., Mukim B, lot No. 519, Kuala Sungai Pinang Balik Pulau, 11010 Penang,  Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 2, 2015;

 

• Ria Budimas Trading, 19 Persiaran Sungai Ara 1, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 2, 2015;

 

• Ria Budimas Trading, Lot 11162 Mk Jalan Simpang Ampat 15, Simpang Ampat, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 2, 2015;

 

• Jayalakshmi Sea Foods Pvt. Ltd., RS No. 267/2 & 268/2 Seesali Village, Bhimavaram, AP India – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “Unapproved Drug Residues (Nitrofurans)” in “Frozen Shrimp” on February 5, 2015.  Jayalakshmi operates a shrimp processing plant certified under the GAA’s BAP program – BAP No. P10216, CB Cert. No. 50029;

 

• Mangala Sea Products, CCXVI/1368, Bhat Memorial Building, Thoppumpady, Cochin, India – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on February 26, 2015;

 

• Sharat Industries, Mahalakshmipuram Village, T.P. Gudur Mandal, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “Nitrofurans” in “Shrimp” on March 9, 2015; and

 

• Devi Fisheries Ltd., 11/1, Purshottapuram, Visakhapatnam, AP India – company was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “Nitrofurans” in “Frozen Shrimp” on March 4, 2015.  Devi Fisheries is part of a GAA BAP certified “3 Star Production Group” (P10212 – M/s Devi Fisheries Ltd.; F10265 – M/s Devi Fisheries Ltd.; and H10049 – DSF Aqua Tech Private Ltd.), a GAA BAP certified “2 Star Production Group” (P10212 – M/s Devi Fisheries Ltd.; and F10265 – M/s Devi Fisheries Ltd.), and operates a shrimp processing plant certified under the GAA’s BAP program – BAP No. P10212, CB Cert. No. 14064.

 

The companies that have been added by the FDA to these Import Alerts raise different concerns.  On the one hand, the Indian shrimp shippers added to the FDA Import Alert are relatively well-known suppliers of shrimp to the U.S. market.  Findings of banned antibiotics in shipments of shrimp from these companies likely reflect a problem or shortfall in the country’s aquaculture that can and should be addressed through cooperative efforts of the foreign suppliers and their U.S. importers and distributors.

 

On the other hand, several of the Malaysian shrimp suppliers recently added to the FDA Import Alert raise concerns that they may be new identities adopted to circumvent FDA scrutiny of Malaysian companies previously placed on Import Alert.  Concerns regarding Malaysian shrimp imports are even more pressing given that recently released official government import statistics show sharp growth in the volume of Malaysian shrimp shipped to this market.

 

A review of the Import Alerts indicates that some of the newly listed Malaysian companies appear to have already been on the FDA’s Import Alert under different names.

 

 

• For example, N.T. Huat Kee Fisheries Sdn. Bhd. was added to Import Alert 16-124 for chloramphenicol in shrimp and prawns on September 16, 2009 with an address of 2235, Jalan Dato Keramat, Nibong Tebal Pulau, Pinang, My-07 Malaysia.  This is the same address attributed to CAB Marine Resources Sdn. Bhd. when that company was listed on the same Import Alert earlier this week.
• In addition, Ocean Famous Sdn. Bhd. was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “AOZ; Nitrofurans” in shrimp on October 7, 2014 with an address of 2^nd Floor, Plot 99B, Jin Perindustrian, Bkt Minyak 5, Kws Perindustrian Bkt, Minyak 14100 Spt, Pulau Pinang Malaysia.  This is virtually the same address attributed to Fishergold Cold Storage Sdn. Bhd. when that company was listed on the same Import Alert earlier this week.
• On October 20, 2009, Ting Seng Brothers Sdn. Bhd. was added to Import Alert 16-129 for “Nitrofurantoin” in shrimp and prawns with an address of 17-P, Jalan Pelantar, Pantai Remis, MY-08 Malaysia.  This address would appear to be adjacent to the address attributed to Ocean Pioneer Sdn. Bhd. (12P, Jalan Pelantar, Pantai Remis, Perak, Malaysia) when that company was listed on the same Import Alert earlier this week.

The use of common addresses implies that foreign shrimp shippers and their U.S. importers have responded to placement on the Import Alert through the adoption of new identities to evade additional FDA scrutiny.

 

Despite the additional actions taken by the FDA regarding Malaysian shrimp, recently released official government import data indicates that the volume of Malaysian shrimp imported into the United States has significantly increased.  In January 2015, the U.S. imported over 2.9 million pounds of peeled shrimp from Malaysia, an increase of 91.6% over the 1.5 million pounds of peeled shrimp imported from Malaysia in January 2014.  The value of peeled shrimp imported from Malaysia increased from $7.7 million in January 2014 to $13.5 million in January 2015 – a leap of 76%.  The growth in the volume and value of peeled shrimp imports from Malaysia is in stark contrast to peeled shrimp imports generally, which declined from 40.4 million pounds in January 2014 to 37.2 million pounds in January 2015 (a decrease of 7.9%), while peeled shrimp import values fell from $237.4 million to $189.7 million over the same time period (a decrease of 20.1%).  Because of these divergent trends, while Malaysia accounted for only 3.8% of peeled shrimp imports in January 2014, its import share doubled this January to 7.8%.

 

 

Read SSA’s original February 4, 2015 post, FDA Is Cracking Down on Contaminated Shrimp Imports:  https://shrimpalliance.com/fda-is-cracking-down-on-contaminated-shrimp-imports/

 

Read SSA’s update on March 4, 2015 to FDA Is Cracking Down on Contaminated Shrimp Imports:  https://shrimpalliance.com/fda-is-cracking-down-on-contaminated-shrimp-imports-update/

 

Read SSA’s Know Your Supplier (Update) on March 3, 2015, FDA Adds Five More Malaysian Companies to Import Alerts for Antibiotic Contamination of Shrimp:  https://shrimpalliance.com/know-your-supplier-update-fda-adds-five-more-malaysian-companies-to-import-alerts-for-antibiotic-contamination-of-shrimp/

 

Review the FDA’s Import Alert 16-124 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquaculture Seafood Products Due to Unapproved Drugs”):  http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_27.html

 

Review the FDA’s Import Alert 16-129 (“Detention Without Physical Examination of Seafood Products Due to Nitrofurans”):  http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_31.html