US refuses shrimp entry from Vietnam for banned antibiotics

The US Food and Drug Administration has released information regarding its refusal to allow shrimp entry from Vietnamese exporters into the country’s commerce for the full month of April through May 26, 2017.

For the period, there were a total of 22 shipments of shrimp to US ports of entry from India, Vietnam, China, Thailand and Hong Kong that were refused entry and forced to return to their home country. 

Minh Phu Seafood Corporation from Vietnam had four of the 22 shipments refused because its shrimp were contaminated with chloramphenicol by the US Division of Southeast Imports on April 7, 2017.

Minh Phu Seafood is a company that was previously added to the USFDA Import Alert 16-124 for sulfamethoxazole in its shrimp on February 22, 2017 after its affiliate Minh Qui Seafood Co, Ltd had been added to that Import Alert for sulfamethoxazole in its shrimp on July 22, 2016.

Of the 47 shipments of shrimp refused for banned antibiotics thus far in 2017, India (12) and Vietnam (12) accounted for the majority, while China (11) and Thailand (7) accounted for all but five of the remaining refusals.