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Deeptha Rajkumar

KOCHI, Oct. 17

IN an abrupt turnaround of events, the European Commission has removed some of the protective measures previously imposed on import of shrimps and prawns from Vietnam and Pakistan.

These products can now be imported into the EU from these countries without the mandatory chemical testing of all consignments. Sources at the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) said the protective measures have been removed by commission's decisions from shrimps and prawns in the light of guarantees offered by the competent authorities from these countries.

The commission has also made amendments to the suspension of products of animal origin from China. An amendment to the commission's decision has removed the requirement for testing of certain products of animal origin from China.

China served as the trigger and chloramphenicol and other bacterial inhibitors are the biggest issue facing international seafood trade at the moment. The EU had, thereafter, imposed a ban on import of Chinese meat poultry and seafood. China is the most important fish producing country, both in aquaculture and capture fisheries sector.

The amendment concerning imports from China allows certain fishery products to enter EC ports without mandatory chemical tests. Previously 20 per cent of consignments were tested for illegal pesticides and veterinary medicines and allowed entry into the EC only on the basis of negative results.

Mandatory testing of shrimps and prawns from Vietnam was introduced in September 2001 with a further decision in March 2002 following detection of illegal veterinary medicine residues of chloramphenicol and then nitrofuran in these products.

Subsequently, Vietnam had implemented certain measures to ensure food safety. The effectiveness of these measures is now being reflected in monitoring results by EU member states.

In January 2002, the EU had introduced mandatory testing of all shrimps and prawns from Pakistan. Sources at SEAI said that the Commission's decision is following reassurances by the Pakistani authorities to the commission and members states concerning the safety of shrimps and prawns.

Chloramphenicol as described by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a potent broad-spectrum antibiotic drug used only at therapeutic doses for treatment of serious infections in humans.

The US-based premier food agency had also lowered its sensitivity of the methodology top detect chloramphenicol in shrimp to 0.3 parts per billion this summer from 5 ppb following in the footsteps of Canada and the EU which detected trace amounts of the drug in animal feed imports.

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