DeLauro Statement on FDA’s Import Alert on Malaysian Shrimp

WASHINGTON, DC (April 18, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an import alert on shrimp from Malaysia, citing an increased number of shipments containing banned antibiotics. Under the alert, the FDA may now detain, without physical examination, imports of shrimp from Malaysia and importers may be required to submit evidence that the shrimp meets U.S. standards.

“The FDA’s decision to issue an import alert for Malaysian shrimp underscores a fact that many of us already know to be true: that lax food safety systems in Malaysia undermine the health and safety of the American consumer. It is unconscionable that we have continued to allow foreign shrimp to flood the American market when such a high number have been found to contain banned antibiotics. I urge the FDA to take every action to keep this shrimp out of American distribution centers, grocery stores, restaurants, and homes.

“We have known for years that Malaysian shrimp pose a potential public health threat. That is why I wrote several letters, beginning in 2011, urging the Administration to prioritize food safety in trade negotiations and to ensure that the Trans-Pacific Partnership does not undermine our food safety network. However, my repeated calls, and those of my colleagues in Congress and millions of concerned Americans, were ignored. Under TPP, the U.S. will only face more obstacles in dealing with imports and illegal antibiotics. At the same time, it will be easier for foreign exporters to challenge detentions and push seafood into the U.S. market. When the health and safety of the American consumer is at stake, we cannot give other countries preferential treatment.”

In 2014 more than 90% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. was imported from approximately 140 countries, and Malaysia was one of the top 10 suppliers of shrimp and prawns to the U.S. market. Of the 138 shipments of shrimp from Malaysia tested by the FDA in FY 2015, one-third contained residues of nitrofurans and/or chloramphenicol, which are not permitted in the U.S.

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