The problem with shrimp is that if they aren’t raised, caught and handled properly, then there is a potential risk to the consumer. And in the United States, fully 94 percent of all the shrimp consumed is imported from other countries, mainly Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia.
The findings in a new report released by Consumer Reports (CR) on Friday raise some serious public health concerns over imported farm-raised shrimp. According to CR, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to step up inspections at U.S. ports and overseas shrimp farms.
Researchers tested shrimp from cities across the U.S.
Researchers bought 284 raw and 58 cooked shrimp samples for testing last March in 27 cities across the country. The products were bought at major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Kroger, Albertsons, Costco, Fry’s Marketplace, Hy-Vee and Sprouts Farmers Market.
The products were tested for a number of drug residues and the presence of bacteria including Salmonella, Vibrio, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Listeria.
The results of the testing are a big surprise, and very worrisome. Testing found 16 percent of fully-cooked and ready-to-eat shrimp contained three or more bacteria, including Vibrio and E. coli. Additionally, 11 samples of raw shrimp contained antibiotics while seven samples of raw shrimp contained MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
The CR report noted specifically that “of 205 raw farmed imported shrimp samples, 11 samples from Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh tested positive for one or more antibiotics: Nine tested positive for oxytetracycline, three contained enrofloxacin, and two contained sulfa antibiotics.”
Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., the executive director of CR’s Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group, says bacterial contamination poses a problem, because even though cooking should kill off the bacteria, more needs to be done to prevent it in the first place.
Rangan also told Food Safety news that freezing is a good way of controlling Vibrio, and she noted, “but 28 percent of our frozen samples had Vibrio. Vibrio illnesses are on the rise, according to the CDC, so Vibrio control is one of the things our federal agencies are concerned about,
Rangan also pointed out that antibiotic residues are illegal in the U.S. under food safety laws, and this is concerning because it points to the differing standards between the U.S. and exporting countries. The FDA told CR that in their testing at entry ports, if even one sample had proved to contain antibiotics, the whole shipment would have been refused entry into the U.S.
“It underscores that this commodity is being trucked around all over the world and standards may not be good,” Rangan said. “It is relying on other countries to have split enforcement — one standard for our country and one for their country — which allows for shrimp coming into our country to not meet regulations.”
Most alarming was the finding of MSRA on some of the samples, indicating handling issues. Rangan said the incidence levels were higher this time than a previous CR report done on poultry and pork products. She said that while cooking will kill the bacteria, the toxins are not killed.
The lack of information leads to increased risk to consumers
Rangan also pointed out that shrimp labeled as “natural” or “organic” doesn’t really mean anything because there are no standards governing this designation. The CR report brings to mind a report issued by Oceana in October, 2014 in Digital Journal. Megan Hamilton reported on how consumers are being misled into thinking they are buying “wild-caught” Gulf shrimp.
Labeling of raw and cooked shrimp is woefully lacking. As the Oceana report showed, there was little if any information on labels about where or how the shrimp were harvested or if the shrimp were indeed farmed, making it impossible for consumers to make informed choices.
The CR report also pointed out that the two countries with the safest shrimp were the United States and Argentina. They recommend looking for farmed shrimp labeled Naturland, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, or Whole Foods Market Responsibly Farmed.
To read the report in its entirety before it is published in June, 2015, go to http://www.ConsumerReports.org.