In view of the risk of COVID-19 contamination in the packages of some frozen shrimp products imported from Ecuador recently, the General Administration of Customs, National Health Commission of China and State Administration for Market Regulation released a notice on July 10th, requiring local governments to implement urgent disposal, suspend the sale, seal up and destroy the South American frozen white shrimps imported from Ecuador immediately. 3 Ecuadorian enterprises, Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila S.A (Registration No. 24887), Empacreci S.A (Registration No. 681) and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif S.A (Registration No. 654) were involved.

   

Foshan market regulation departments at all levels attached great importance to it and acted quickly, carrying out specific inspections of farm markets, frozen warehouses, supermarkets of key shopping malls and restaurants in Foshan.

   

   

From July 11th to 13th, Foshan market regulation departments have dispatched 1071 law enforcement officers to inspect 320 farm markets, 326 frozen warehouses, 337 supermarkets, and 673 other business units such as restaurants. No South American frozen white shrimps produced by those 3 enterprises after March 12th mentioned in the notice were found yet.

   

After government departments’ inspections and self-inspections by enterprises, it was found that 98472.236 kilograms of frozen shrimps imported from Ecuador (non-epidemic batch) were sold in Foshan. 

   

Law enforcement officers have immediately required frozen shrimp sellers to suspend the sale and seal up related frozen shrimps, and contact health and disease control departments to carry out sample inspections of products, environment and employee samples. A total of 445 samples were collected this time, including 51 of employees, 164 of products and 230 environment samples, with no positive samples found so far.

 

   

In the next step, Foshan market regulation departments will continue to carry out inspections and disposals of South American frozen white shrimps imported from Ecuador, eliminating hidden risks in time and consolidating the hard-won achievements of COVID-19 epidemic control and prevention.