Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for shrimp farmers in a manageable issue using good shrimp husbandry and correct nutrition.
While an issue for farmers and their production perhaps of bigger concern is that these shrimp could end up carrying antibiotic resistant superbugs (as in this recent investigation in Canada shows) with the possibility of infecting end consumers.
Of course here is where education in downstream markets about correct shrimp handling and fully cooking shrimp is of prime importance.
So should all raw shrimp be exported with cautionary labels regardless pack size?
“Wash hands after handling. Cook before eating.”
Should only cooked ready to eat (rte) shrimp be allowed to be exported/imported? Do secondary processors in mature markets have enough controls in place?
Certification at origin will not help with food safety in this sort of case. Cooking will.
Funnily enough shrimp imported into Australia requires to be cooked – but this is to stop shrimp diseases (not superbugs) from potentially infecting the local shrimp population when frozen raw shrimp is used as bait by fishermen.
