Senator Sherrod Brown

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown today called for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to more closely monitor the import of tainted seafood from China.

The FDA issued an import safety alert last summer on certain Chinese seafood products that have proven to be widely contaminated. The alert’s instructions were widely ignored, resulting in one million pounds of this dangerous seafood entering our supply chain unfettered. Furthermore, recent reports have indicated that FDA plans to weaken the alert or remove it altogether.

“The public should not have to worry about these chemicals being in the U.S. food supply, which is why I am concerned that Import Alert #16-131 has not been closely followed and is in jeopardy of being discarded,” wrote Brown in a letter to Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Commissioner of the FDA.

“There is no evidence that China, notorious for its porous and corrupt food safety regulatory system, has cleaned up its act,” Brown continued. “In fact, the FDA’s own records reveal that of all the aquicultured seafood China has tried to import into the U.S. since the Import Alert went into effect, less than half of it passed inspection and was allowed to enter the U.S. market.  Clearly, continued vigilance is still necessary.”

A full copy of Brown’s letter follows.

September 18, 2008

Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach

Commissioner

Food and Drug Administration

5600 Fishers Lane

Rockville, Maryland 20857

Dear Dr. von Eschenbach:

I am writing to ask for your agency’s continued vigilance in protecting the American public from tainted seafood from China. 

I commend the FDA for taking action last summer to strictly control the importation of farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace, and eel from China due to recurring antimicrobial contamination (Import Alert #16-131).  These antimicrobial agents, which are used by Chinese producers to keep fish alive in polluted waters – among other purposes, may cause cancer in humans and can lead to antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens. 

The public should not have to worry about these chemicals being in the U.S. food supply, which is why I am concerned that Import Alert #16-131 has not been closely followed and is in jeopardy of being discarded.

Under the Import Alert’s “Detention Without Physical Examination” order, all farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace, and eel from China are supposed to be inspected at our borders with no exceptions.  However, the Associated Press discovered that, even after the Import Alert was issued, at least 1 million pounds of these items made it into the U.S. market unfettered (“‘Import Alert’ For Chinese Seafood Ignored,” 8 August 2007).

Moreover, I was disappointed that, almost immediately after the Import Alert was issued, the FDA exempted one of the largest aquaculture shrimp exporting firms in China (Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products Corporation).  That same firm has been recently implicated in trying to bring tainted food to Canada.

Most troubling of all is that, instead of redoubling efforts to scrutinize these suspect suppliers, the FDA reportedly has plans to exempt even more firms and, perhaps, rescind the alert altogether.

This is unacceptable.  There is no evidence that China, notorious for its porous and corrupt food safety regulatory system, has cleaned up its act.  In fact, the FDA’s own records reveal that of all the aquicultured seafood China has tried to import into the U.S. since the Import Alert went into effect, less than half of it passed inspection and was allowed to enter the U.S. market.  Clearly, continued vigilance is still necessary.

We should be particularly skeptical of evidence provided by so-called independent laboratories hired by importers trying to exonerate themselves.  I have long advocated – and will continue to fight – for increased resources for FDA to do its own testing rather than rely on third-parties that are easily caught in conflicts of interest.

We must take every precaution to protect the American people.  Identifying and inspecting high-risk imports makes sense and should not be discontinued.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown

U.S. Senator

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