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Japanese Health Ministry fixes MRL for Ethoxyquin residue in shrimp

Updated: Dec 02, 2013 01:19:34pm
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New Delhi, Dec 2 (KNN)  The committee of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved to fix a Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of 0.2 ppm in crustaceans including farmed shrimp.

Ethoxyquin is chemically known as 1,2 - dihydro - 6 - ethoxy-2, 2,4- trimethylquinoline. It is used primarily as an antioxidant preservative in animal feed. It is also used in dehydrated storage of forage crops and as an antiscald agent in fruits.

“The MRL will be now notified for comments from public and in WTO as per the procedure,” said an MPEDA (Marine Products Export Development Authority) release of November-29.

The move came in the backdrop of import inspection authorities of Japan having enforced the default level of 0.01ppm for Ethoxyquin in shrimps from India and Vietnam in August 2012.

The issue, according to the statement, was then taken up with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, MPEDA and Embassy of India, Tokyo citing the lack of scientific reasoning behind their action.

Subsequently, Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, Government of Japan referred the matter to the Food Safety Commission (FSC) under Cabinet Secretariat to assess and recommend Accepted Daily Intake (ADI) of Ethoxyquin in shrimps.  The issue was also taken up at various bilateral meetings.

It was at a meeting on November-19, 2013 that the subcommittee of Food Safety Commission had fixed the ADI for Ethoxyquin as 0.0083 mg /kg body weight, it said. 
Later, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare discussed and approved MRLs for 11 parameters on 29th November 2013.

“It is noticed that the assessment period for Ethoxyquin took only about an year, in comparison with assessment period which varied from 5 to 10 years for many other parameters. This has to be seen as a result of the constant efforts put in by Ministry of Commerce and Industry, MPEDA and Embassy of India, Tokyo.  The final MRL announcement is expected by February 2014. It is expected that the resolution of Ethoxyquin will further augment India’s shrimp exports to Japan,” it said.   (KNN/ES)

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