Shipments stalemate: The overnight notice to India regarding the default standard fixed was not based on any scientific studies on safety evaluation.
Thiruvananthapuram/Visakhapatnam, Sept. 12:
The sudden move by the Japanese Food and Safety Authority to impose compulsory testing for Ethoxyquin in shrimp consignments from India on the basis of a default standard of 0.01 ppm has rattled shrimp exporters from Andhra Pradesh, even though there has been no rejection of consignments from the State yet.
According to Raju K. Joseph, Deputy Director of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), here, a team led by the Chairman of the MPEDA visited Japan in the first week of September to reassure the authorities that there was absolutely no danger and “the default standard of 0.01 ppm is not based on any scientific studies nationally or internationally.”
Delegation meets minister
The delegation met with the Japanese Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare, Yoko Komiyama, and requested urgent intervention in the matter. It requested the Minister to issue instructions for keeping the orders at the default standard in abeyance for the time being.
The Chairman, MPEDA, requested the Minister to look at the issue compassionately since lives of more than 50,000 aqua farmer families were involved, apart from setback to exporters. The Japanese Minister has since referred the issue to the Food Safety Commission which is the nodal agency for giving advice on the matter.
Mandatory testing
The Chairman of MPEDA pointed out that the overnight notice to India regarding the decision and the fact that the default standard fixed was not based on any scientific studies on safety evaluation, nationally or internationally.
It was also pointed out that there were no international norms/Minimum Residue Limits fixed for Ethoxyquin in shrimps as there was insufficient scientific evidence to show it was not safe for human health.
Studies carried out by these countries had not thrown up any risk warranting the fixing of an MRL for fish and shrimp.
It was also mentioned that even Japan permits an MRL of 1 ppm for fish.
Shrimp feed
Joseph said fishmeal was an important ingredient of shrimp feed and to protect the feed from rancidity a large number of anti-oxidants were being used. “Ethoxyquin, being one of the most popular and effective anti-oxidants, finds its way into the shrimp through the feed. There are a number of shrimp feed units in AP using the substance. Therefore, they are also worried by the move of the Japanese inspecting agency. In fact, it affects everyone in the industry from the aqua farmer to the exporter,” he explained.
He said till now only consignments from West Bengal had been affected, but AP, being the foremost State in aquaculture, may also be hit in future.
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