The FDA has announced an import alert on shrimp and prawns from Peninsular Malaysia. Testing has found that one-third of the imports of these types of seafood from that area contain residues of nitrofurans and/or chloramphenicol. Nitrofurans and chloramphenicol are antibiotics, and both are considered carcinogens. FDA testing last year discovered an increase in shipments of Malaysian shrimp and prawns containing residues of these drugs. The drugs are considered contaminants, therefore the seafood is adulterated and not permitted in the United States marketplace. FDA has taken steps in the past to prevent companies with "violative shipments" from continuing to import seafood by placing them on existing Import Alerts. That means the companies' future shipments may be detained without … [Read more...]
Long-Awaited Catfish Inspection Rules Caught Up in Controversy
Years in the making, the USDA's new inspection rule for catfish and other Siluriformes is already caught up in a lot of controversy. The rule, which becomes effective in March 2016, applies to both domestically-raised and imported Siluriformes. It was mandated by the 2014 Farm Bill. Up until now, catfish, and other Siluriformes, were regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates all food products accept meat, poultry and some egg products. The new U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) rule marks the beginning of an 18-month transition for oversight of the fish. The fish will now be regulated under the United States Department of Agriculture. “FSIS is committed to a smooth and gradual introduction to the new … [Read more...]
