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Imported Shrimp: A Healthy and Safe Food
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has established a voluntary Seafood
Inspection Program to ensure that seafood imports meet stringent quality
standards as outlined by the FDA under the Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Program (HACCP) Regulatory Requirements. The DOC provides U.S. importers
with assistance prior to export of a seafood product to the United States
by conducting sanitary and hazard reduction training and providing assistance
in writing and verifying HACCP requirements; at the point of entry by inspecting
and certifying products; and, at the point of retail distribution by assisting
stores in establishing and maintaining a retail HACCP program.
It has been alleged that shrimp imports from China, Thailand, and Vietnam
pose a health risk because they contain the antibiotic chloramphenicol. This
is simply not true. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2002 adopted
a policy for detecting chloramphenicol in shrimp, conforming to the strict
standards first set by the European Union.
Also, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the seafood industry's trade
association that includes all major shrimp importers, has a zero tolerance
policy for chloramphenicol and all other antibiotics. Importers are
absolutely opposed to the use of antibiotics, as are exporters. For additional
information, visit NFI's website at www.nfi.org.
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