Determination of sulfite and antimicrobial residue in imported shrimp to the USA

Incorrect usage of grow out and post-harvest products in shrimp aquaculture can lead to problems such as residue from veterinary drugs and melanosis prevention. These residues can be a serious concern for human health during handling and consumption of the shrimp. In an effort to determine if banned antimicrobial drugs were present in commercial shrimp, imported shrimp from India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Bangladesh and Ecuador were purchased from retail stores in Baton Rouge, LA, USA and screened for the presence of veterinary drug residues (oxytetracycline, nitrofurantoin, chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolone and malachite green) using ELISA test kits. Additional screening with the Alert sulfite detection kit was used to determine if sulfite residue was over the legal limit of 100 ppm. Screening analysis revealed that samples were positive for nitrofurantoin (70 %), malachite green (5 %), oxytetracycline (7 %), and fluoroquinolone (17 %). No samples contained chloramphenicol residue. Using LC-MSMS validation, one sample tested positive for 60 ppm of oxytetracycline and 4 ppb of ciprofloxacin. Most samples tested positive for sulfite residue (43 %), but were within the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) limit (10−100 ppm). However, sulfites were not listed on any of labels of the 51 packages of imported shrimp. These drug residues and sulfites can have negative effects on human health. Results of this study confirm that veterinary drug residue is present in imported shrimp sold in the USA and all labeling rules are not followed.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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