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View all search resultsIndustry pushes swift action on radioactive shrimp scare
The government noted that only a few accredited laboratories are currently capable of advanced food testing.
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Shrimp, seafood. (Shutterstock/-)
I
ndustry players are urging the government to swiftly resolve the radioactive contamination issue found in a local firm’s frozen shrimp shipment to the United States, warning that the dispute is hurting the entire sector.
Shrimp Club Indonesia (SCI), an association of shrimp farmers, reported that prices in key producing regions have plunged by up to 30 percent.
“In directly affected regions, market absorption has fallen sharply, forcing farmers to sell cheaply to local buyers. Even the domestic market has been hit by the ‘radioactive’ stigma, with consumers reluctant to buy,” SCI head Andi Tamsil said on Sunday, as quoted by Kompas.
According to him, the case has already pushed down prices in regions such as Aceh and North Sumatra, affecting some 18,000 hectares of farms and 3,500 workers.
“The impact on the industry is clear, especially on international market confidence. If not handled properly, other exporters could also be affected even if they are not directly involved,” Andi said.
The association has urged the government to step in and resolve the fallout from the discovery of radioactive traces in shrimp exports.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 19 recalled Great Value frozen shrimp sold at Walmart in 13 states after products from Indonesian processor PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS) tested positive for Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope. Although only four containers were confirmed to be contaminated, the FDA recalled 456 in total.
