欧盟：虾中抗生素残留标准更加严格

EU strict on antibiotic residue in shrimp

The EU has taken a strict stand on antibiotic residue in shrimp consignments and made it clear that it will not allow re-exporting of contaminated shipments. The EU legislation prohibits re-exports of unsafe food and the only option left is to destroy the consignment. All costs associated with the destruction would have to be borne by the importer or his representative. Indian exporters are of the view that earlier consignments containing antibiotic residues were allowed to be shipped back to India, although with much difficulty. Almost 30% of India's seafood exports are now destined to the EU.

According to EU, for many antibiotics it was possible to define a limit, and food containing such residues below that limit could be considered safe. However, chloramphenicol and nitrofurans, which were not dose-related, were considered potentially harmful at any level. Accordingly,a limit of 0.3 ppb for chloramphenicol and 1 ppb for nitrofuranhad been fixed and for chloramphenicol the risk could be fatal.

An official from The Marine Pro-ducts Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the countrys nodal agency for the development of trade and industry, said that the use of antibiotics in aquaculture farms had been reduced considerably. A series of awareness campaigns had been conducted and farmers were grouped into clusters for implementing good management practices. There are 11 approved laboratories across the country for under-taking analysis of antibiotics and farmers had started to use these services. Most of the diseases found in the farms were not caused by bacteria but by virus for which antibiotic treatment was not an answer, he added.