The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released information regarding import entry line refusals for the month of March 2015. Over one in three of the 155 seafood import entry lines refused last month were for entry lines of shrimp for reasons related to veterinary drug residues. In total, the FDA reported that 58 entry lines of shrimp were refused for banned antibiotics in March.
With the March refusals, the FDA reports having refused 140 shrimp entry lines for banned antibiotics in 2015. The total from the first quarter of 2015 represents more shrimp entry line refusals by the agency than any full year in the twelve year period between 2002 and 2013. If the FDA continues to refuse shrimp import entry lines at the current rate – just under 47 entry lines per month – last year’s record high of 208 such refusals will be surpassed by May.
In March, shrimp from five different countries – Malaysia, India, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia – was refused for reasons related to veterinary drug residues. These refusals involved thirteen different companies in those five countries, with refusals being reported throughout the country:
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