The European Union has eased back on its testing requirements for shrimps imported from Thailand because it says the country has brought under control a problem of contamination with cancer-causing antibiotics.
The EU said it would go back to normal random testing of 10% of shrimp imports from Thailand rather than testing all Thai shrimps as it had been doing up till now.
“The improved testing methods and other methods introduced recently by the Thai authorities have proved effective,” Klauspeter Schmallenbach, the European Commission ambassador to Thailand, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Thai shrimp exports fell almost 30% in the first half of 2002 after the EU imposed tougher testing following the discovery of residues of nitrofurans in some Thai fisheries products.
The Commission said it would continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure it did not deteriorate.
