FDA Flags Chinese Seafood

Officials put the brakes on imports of species tainted with unapproved drugs

By Caroline Zimmerman

Posted Jun 28, 2007 6:12 PM CDT

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FDA Flags Chinese Seafood — A Fisherman sorts fish to sell at Muara Karang bay in Jakarta, Tuesday, May 15, 2007. A recent meeting of the Asian Development bank in Kyoto highlighted the differences between Asia's fast growing powerhouse economies such as Korea who want the bank to keep pace with their rapid development, and those... (Associated Press)

Add farmed seafood to the list of unsafe goods imported from China. The FDA will detain three varieties of fish as well as shrimp and eel, the agency said today, after tests revealed the presence of antibiotics and antifungals that aren't approved in the US for use in aquaculture. The level of contamination and risk to consumers are low.

The US will not impose a total ban, nor will it ask supermarkets or consumers to dump existing supplies, the AP reports. "We don't want to be alarmist here," said one FDA official. Importers who can show that their shipments are free of the drugs, some of which are carcinogenic, will be allowed to bring them into the country. (More FDA stories.)

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