US regulators will detain seafood imports from China over concerns about unsafe residues on the fish, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.
The broad import control was imposed after regulators repeatedly found seafood shipments contaminated with antimicrobial agents that are not approved for use in the United States.
"We're taking this strong step because of current and continuing evidence that certain Chinese aquaculture products imported into the United States contain illegal substances that are not permitted in seafood sold in the United States," said David Acheson, the FDA's assistant commissioner for food protection.
"We will accept entries of these products from Chinese firms that demonstrate compliance with our requirements and safety standards."
The levels of the drug residues found in the seafood are very low, most often at or near the minimum level of detection, the FDA said.
It has not issued a recall of fish already admitted into the country but said it was "concerned about long term exposure as well as the possible development of antibiotic resistance."
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