One of the topics of concern raised during the 2017 Scientific Meeting of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (“NARMS”) was the failure of the system to address antibiotic use in aquaculture and to monitor antimicrobial resistant pathogens present on seafood products sold in the United States. As currently organized, NARMS allows the public to access data regarding incidents of detection of antimicrobial resistant pathogens for seven different bacterium (including lmonella, e. coli, and campylobacter) related to cattle, swine, chicken, and turkey products. No seafood products are currently covered by the monitoring system.
A Science Board review of NARMS, completed in June, observed that there was “interest in expanding monitoring to fish and other seafood, such as tilapia, salmon and shrimp . . . .” The Science Board recommended sampling seafood along with other meat products.
In response to a request for comments from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding NARMS, the Southern Shrimp Alliance expressed its support for the Science Board’s recommendation regarding the expansion of the program to include seafood.
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