FDA Refuses 5 Species Of Chinese Fish

[Amelia]

FDA Refuses 5 Species Of Chinese Fish

Farm-Raised Seafood Contains Antibiotics

June 28, 2007

The Associated Press

Federal health officials said Thursday they will detain imports of some Chinese farmed seafood until it is shown to be free of illegal antibiotics.

local6.com will not carry a related news conference live, as previously stated. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Food and Drug Administration did not say that people should return or throw out food from China. It is mostly concerned about long-term exposure

The FDA's tougher import controls apply to all farm-raised catfish, basa, shrimp, dace (related to carp), and eel from China.

The agency said it will hold the products at the border until the shipments are proven to be free of residues from drugs that are not approved in the United States in farm-raised aquatic animals.

There have been no reports of illness, an online news release said. But during sampling from October 2006 to May 2007, the unapproved substances were found repeatedly, though most often at the minimum levels of detection.

Some of the substances are also prohibited by China.

Beyond the fish, federal regulators have warned consumers in recent weeks about lead paint in toy trains, defective tires and toothpaste made with diethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient more commonly found in antifreeze. All the products were imported from China.

China, meanwhile, insisted Thursday that the safety of its products was "guaranteed," making a rare direct comment on spreading international fears over tainted and adulterated exports.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press