Seafood News - Industry Events - Seafood Market

Financial Express    11/04/2005 10:18:36

Japan, like the EU, has imposed strict standards for import of shrimp from India, following the presence of banned antibiotics in some consignments. It has made mandatory for consignments to be accompanied by a check report that the material is free of anti-biotics, especially nitrofuran.

The Export Inspection Authority (EIA) is learnt to have alerted the firms whose consignments were said to contain residues of the anti-biotic. It has also started initiating action against the firms, sources said. The Japanese quarantine authorities had started random checking of all imported shrimp consignments of aquaculture origin, especially those from India.

Fortunately for over Rs 1,000 crore shrimp market in Japan, the norms are applicable only for finished products. In the case of EU the norms are to be implemented right from the catching point to the finished product.

A top official of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) told FE that the authority had readied to meet the Japanese demand. The consignments are to carry a certificate issued by the government-approved laboratories. Henceforth all consignments from the country to Japan would have to be tested at the Export Inspection Authority (EIA) laboratories, like the SeaLab of the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).

Both the US and EU had banned the use of nitrofuran in food items, especially fish and meat. It is suspected to be carcinogenic.

Trade and MPEDA sources said that there would not be much impact on the exports. Indian exports to Japan are mainly the black tiger prawns processed there. According to figures available for the last fiscal up to January, exports to Japan had increased in quantity while it fell in value.

This was attributed to the muddy moulding in the fish that was not favoured there. While exports during the period were to the tune of 44,341 tonne valued at nearly 1,000 crore, only 42,297 tonne worth Rs 1,025 crore was exported during the same period the previous year. During the fiscal 2003-04, exports to Japan were 50,020 tonne worth Rs 1,163.9 crore.