Chinese shrimp producer exempted from FDA seafood ban

Chinese shrimp producer exempted from FDA seafood ban The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has exempted a major Chinese shrimp producer from existing restrictions on the importation of shrimp into the United States.
   Zhangjiang Guolian Aquatic Products, based in the southern Chinese city of ZhangJiang, is the first to be exempted from FDA restrictions put in place this summer in response to concerns over drug contamination. FDA officials said Guolian is the only Chinese firm to seek an exemption so far.
   The FDA restrictions were enacted after numerous tests showed farmed seafood had been contaminated with antibiotics and drugs that the agency has not approved. In addition to shrimp, the FDA restrictions covered basa fish, catfish, dace and eel.
   The use of unapproved antibiotics or chemicals in aquaculture raises significant public health concerns, according to the FDA. The federal government has found that there is clear scientific evidence that the use of antibiotics or chemicals, such as malachite green, nitrofurans, fluoroquinolones, and gentian violet, during the various stages of aquaculture can result in residues of the contaminates being left in the prepared food product. The presence of antibiotic residues, according to the FDA, may contribute to an increase of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens and prolonged exposure has been shown to have a carcinogenic affect on humans.
   The Guolilan exemption was approved after FDA officials visited the firm's processing plant and the agency verified third-party analyses of five consecutive Guolian shipments of shrimp showing them to be free of any contamination. FDA officials said the Chinese government plans to use Guolian as a model for other exporting firms.
   According to the FDA, about 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported from more than 60 countries, with 40 percent of that seafood coming from aquaculture operations. China is the largest producer of aquaculture seafood in the world, accounting for 70 percent of the total global production. China is the third-largest exporter of seafood to the United States. Shrimp and catfish products represent two of the top 10 most consumed seafood products in the United States.