KOCHI: Japan has lifted inspection order for Indian Black Tiger shrimps after the export consignments of the shrimp were found free from any residue of the synthetic antibacterial drug, furazolidone. This has been conveyed by the Food Inspection and Safety Division of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) to the Embassy of India in Japan, Export Inspection Council of India and the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). Japan consumes nearly 40 per cent of India’s black tiger shrimp exports, while it enjoys niche markets in the European Union and the US also.
The MHLW has also reduced import inspection sampling frequency for the shrimp to 30 per cent from the current 100 per cent. Order related to furazolidone was implemented in accordance with Section 3, Article 26 of the Food Sanitation Act of Japan. Black tiger shrimp, commonly known as the giant tiger prawn or Asian tiger shrimp, is a popular seafood delicacy across the world and also forms an important segment of India’s marine products export basket.
Welcoming Tokyo’s decision to lift the inspection order, MPEDA chairman K S Srinivas said it is a validation of the relentless efforts undertaken by MPEDA in raising the request at various platforms and through its Trade promotion Office in the Japanese capital. The MPEDA chairman added that the MPEDA, through its field offices and society named National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture, had been constantly educating the farmers on Better Management Practices (BMPs) and the ill-effects on the usage of unknown inputs, which may contain residues of antimicrobial substances like furazolidone.