After the EU detected the banned antibiotic chloramphenicol in certain aquaculture and fishery products imported from China, imports of products of animal origin from China were suspended in March this year.
Last week the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) voted in favour of Commission proposals to reverse this decision and to discontinue the enforced testing regime of antibiotic residues for certain fish products from China.
In May, in light of information provided by the Chinese authorities and the favourable results of the tests carried out, the imports of certain fish products, gelatine and sausage casings were resumed, subject to increased monitoring and testing to ensure their safety.
According to a Commission statement this week, positive results carried out on fish products mean that re-enforced testing is no longer required for whole fish, gutted and de-headed fish and fish fillets for a variety of species to Alaska pollack, cod and redfish. Reinforced testing is maintained for sausage casings.
Also this week, the SCFCAH has voted in favour of discontinuing the systematic testing of all consignments of shrimps from Vietnam - introduced in March this year following the detection of residues of the veterinary drug nitrofuran on shrimps from Vietnam. In contrast, the presence of nitrofurans has been detected on poultry meat imported from Brazil. As a result, systematic testing of all consignments of poultry meat and poultry products and preparations from Brazil is now obligatory.
Moving to eastern Europe, results of recent control checks carried out by Member States on imports from Ukraine of skimmed milk powder and artificial milk replacer made from skimmed milk powder, intended for animal feed, revealed the presence of chloramphenicol. As a result, Europe has now introduced systematic testing of consignments of these products.