United States Food Agency Bans Shrimp From M’sia, S’pore’s Checks Reveal No Antibiotics In Imports
The United States’s food authority, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned 11 shrimp exporters from Malaysia in 2019, reported The Star on Sat (4 Jan).
This comes after they found chloramphenicol – an antibiotic – in 18 different shipments.
Another 56 shipment samples from 28 shrimp exporters contained nitrofurans, another antibiotic. The FDA has banned them as well.
The Star reports that 19 of these exporters’ shipments containing nitrofurans were based in Penang, while another 8 containing chloramphenicol have Penang addresses.
Malaysian Fisheries Department claims no antibiotics found in shrimp
The Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF) responded to the report on 5 Jan (Sun), claiming that “transshipment” could have occurred during shipping, meaning the goods came from other countries.
Moreover, only a few companies were blacklisted, they clarified.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, Sim Tze Tzin, told the public on Facebook that shrimps from Malaysia are safe to eat.
He explained that since around 2009, shrimp farmers from Malaysia had stopped using antibiotics and were using probiotics instead.
Minister Sim also quipped that the shrimps were actually quite tasty.
Singapore’s shrimps are safe, claims Malaysian Fisheries Department
Singaporeans do not have to worry about tainted shrimp, if the statement by the DOF is anything to go by.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has allegedly not found any banned antibiotics in shrimp imports from Malaysia, the DOF said.
MS News have asked the SFA for comment.
Hopefully, we can safely enjoy our shrimp from Malaysia this coming festive period.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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