Shrimp is one of America’s favorite seafoods The average American eats nearly 4 pounds of shrimp per year! With such high demand, most of the shrimp we eat is imported from abroad Indonesia is one of the world’s largest shrimp producers and exporters. But with concerns over food safety, you may be wondering – is shrimp from Indonesia safe to eat?
As a seafood lover and food blogger, I decided to dig into this question. I researched the facts, regulations, and measures in place to ensure the safety of Indonesian shrimp. Here’s a detailed look at what I found.
Overview of Indonesia’s Shrimp Industry
Indonesia is the second largest producer of shrimp worldwide, after China. Shrimp farming took off there in the 1980s and focused on the black tiger prawn. By the 1990s, most farms had switched to farming the whiteleg shrimp which is more disease resistant.
The main shrimp producing regions are East Java, Lampung, South Sulawesi and West Java Indonesia exports shrimp all over the world, with the main markets being the United States, Japan and Europe
The majority of shrimp farming in Indonesia is semi-intensive pond farming. This means the shrimp are raised in man-made ponds that have some environmental controls. The ponds range from 1-10 hectares in size.
Food Safety Concerns
In the past, there have been some concerns over the safety of imported farmed shrimp:
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Use of antibiotics and chemicals – Shrimp are vulnerable to disease in crowded ponds. Some farmers used antibiotics preventively or to treat disease outbreaks. There were also concerns over use of pesticides and other chemicals.
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Contaminants – Potential contaminants like bacteria, heavy metals or other toxins.
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Unsafe farming practices – Such as overcrowded ponds with poor waste management. This could lead to rapid spread of disease.
These concerns prompted questions over whether it was safe to eat shrimp from countries like Indonesia where regulation and oversight were considered weaker.
Improved Oversight and Testing
In recent years, Indonesia has taken steps to improve food safety and oversight of its shrimp industry:
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Better regulation of antibiotic use – In 2017, Indonesia introduced stricter limits on antibiotic use in aquaculture. There is mandatory antibiotic-free periods before harvesting.
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Testing for drug residues – The government now tests exported shrimp for residues of antibiotics, pesticides and other banned chemicals. Shipments found with residues are rejected.
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Farm inspections – Routine inspections of shrimp farms are carried out. This includes testing water quality and feed.
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Product testing – Export facilities must test shrimp for contaminants like salmonella, vibrio bacteria, E. coli and heavy metals.
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Export facility certification – Processing/export facilities must be certified to international standards. This involves meeting requirements for sanitation, hygiene, and HACCP plans.
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Combating illegal fishing – Indonesia has taken steps to stop illegal, unregulated fishing. This helps ensure shrimp is caught and processed safely.
Third-Party Certifications
On top of government oversight, some Indonesian shrimp farmers have third-party certifications:
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Naturland organic – Certified organic shrimp from sustainable, chemical-free farms.
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Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) – Certifies environmentally and socially responsible farming. ASC banned antibiotics in shrimp farming.
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GlobalGAP – Certifies safe, sustainable agriculture, including aquaculture. Assesses food safety, worker welfare, environment etc.
These voluntary certifications provide added assurance that shrimp has been farmed responsibly and safely. Look for them when shopping.
My Take: Shrimp from Indonesia Can Be Safe
Based on my research, I believe shrimp from Indonesia can be safe, provided proper oversight and testing by the Indonesian government. With improved regulations and enforcement, the risks of contamination or chemical residues have been greatly reduced.
For extra assurance, I would recommend choosing Indonesian shrimp with Naturland, ASC or GlobalGAP certification. This signals the shrimp comes from farms with responsible practices and regular auditing.
When buying any shrimp, here are some useful tips:
- Choose fresh, raw shrimp where possible – less risk of handling/processing contamination
- Check for trusted certifications on packaged shrimp
- Check the shrimp carefully for signs of spoilage
- Follow proper handling and cooking guidelines
The steps Indonesia has taken in recent years lead me to believe shrimp from there can be a healthy, safe choice. With some care selecting and preparing shrimp, Indonesian shrimp can be enjoyed as part of a well-rounded diet.
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Each of us eats, on average, almost 4 pounds per year, making shrimp more popular than tuna. Before, shrimp was only served on special occasions. Now, it’s so common that we expect to see it on the menu at both fancy restaurants and fast food chains.
In fact, Americans eat about three times more shrimp than we did 35 years ago. To satisfy our insatiable appetite, the U. S. has turned into a huge importer. About 94% of our shrimp comes from other countries, like India, Indonesia, and Thailand.
But our love affair with shrimp does have a downside. An awful lot of the shrimp we buy is “farmed,” which means it was grown in huge tanks or shallow, man-made ponds that can cover acres. One square meter, which is about the size of a 60-inch flat-screen TV, can sometimes hold 150 shrimp. They are fed commercial pellets, which sometimes contain antibiotics to keep them from getting sick. If ponds aren’t carefully taken care of, a sludge of waste, chemicals, and extra food can build up and break down. Wastewater can be periodically discharged into nearby waterways. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., says, “Bacteria and algae can start to grow, and disease can spread. This is why farmers use drugs and other chemicals that can stay on the shrimp and get into the water.” D. , executive director of the Consumer Reports Food Safety and Sustainability Center. A lot of people are worried about these ways of farming shrimp, including whether or not the shrimp are safe to eat and whether or not they hurt the environment.
For shoppers the dilemma starts at the grocery store, where its difficult to know what to buy. Labels and names can be confusing, meaningless, or—worse—deceptive. Sellers may not always tell (or even know) the truth about the origins of the shrimp they offer. That’s not to mention that labels that say “natural” or “wild” shrimp can make it seem like more expensive varieties are always fresher or tastier.
Consumer Reports is calling on the federal government to make shrimp safer for American consumers. You can find six different kinds of shrimp at the store. Learn what to look for on shrimp labels and how to clean shrimp the right way.
This is why Consumer Reports chose to look closely at shrimp by testing, tasting, and shopping for it. Some worrying things we found were bacteria on more than half of the raw samples we tested and illegal antibiotic residues on 11 samples. But there was also good news, in that there are plenty of healthful choices available.
There is no way to be sure that the bacteria on shrimp won’t make you sick, but following our safe-prep rules will make it more likely that you won’t. Use our guide on these pages to make sure you buy the cleanest, most sustainably farmed or fished shrimp and get what you pay for at the fish counter.
What our tests showed: Bacteria and other problems
Despite Americas massive intake of shrimp, the Food and Drug Administration tested only 0. 7 percent of foreign shrimp shipments last year. Consumer Reports bought 342 packages of frozen shrimp—284 raw samples and 58 cooked samples—in 27 cities across the U.S. to do our own tests. The shrimp came from big-box stores, chain supermarkets, and “natural” food stores. S. We didn’t include shrimp that has never been frozen because people only buy a small amount of that kind of shrimp. ).
We tested for bacteria such as salmonella, vibrio, staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli. We also looked for drug residues to see whether antibiotics were used in raising the shrimp. Antibiotics—none of which are approved by the U. S. antibiotics—which aren’t allowed in imported shrimp and are only allowed in shrimp raised on farms—are a problem because they can make bacteria resistant to antibiotics, which means that eventually the antibiotic may not be able to treat common sick people.
Our findings provided some cause for concern. In 16 percent of cooked, ready-to-eat shrimp, we found several bacteria, including vibrio and E. coli. These bacteria could make you sick with food poisoning, which could lead to diarrhea and dehydration, and in the worst cases, they could even kill you. In 11 samples of raw imported farmed shrimp, we detected antibiotics. We found methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in seven raw shrimp samples, six from farms and one from the wild. MRSA is a bacteria that can cause infections that are hard to treat.
Overall, 60% of our raw shrimp tested positive for bacteria, but it’s important to remember how small that number is. In 2013, when we tested raw chicken breasts, 97 percent of the samples had bacteria on them, says Rangan, who was in charge of both the shrimp and chicken studies. Read “The High Cost of Cheap Chicken” for more details.
Salmonella is often the cause of food poisoning outbreaks, but much less of the shrimp samples had it than the chicken samples. But of concern, we found vibrio on many shrimp samples. “Vibrio is the most common cause of food poisoning from eating raw oysters,” Rangan says. “Our test results make us wonder how shrimp is raised, processed, and regulated, even though most of the bacteria on shrimp would be killed when it’s cooked.” “.