Food safety

The use of antibiotics and other chemicals in aquaculture is widely practiced to help meet the increasing demand for aquaculture production to avoid the outbreak of disease. However, the need to respond to environmental mitigation and consumer protection concerns for food safety is accordingly stringent and immense. Considering the growing-awareness on issues of food safety of aquaculture products, it is an urgent matter that SEAFDEC should take the lead in establishing regional guidelines on the right usage of antibiotics and other chemical inputs in aquaculture. The objectives of this projects are to: (1) contribute in the establishment of guidelines on the production of safe aquaculture products from Southeast Asia; (2) Determine the presence and levels of commonly used chemicals in aquaculture in aquaculture products such as fish and shrimps; (3) Investigate the status of antibiotics and chemical use in aquaculture in Southeast Asian countries; and (4) Compile and disseminate SEAFDEC guidelines on the use of antibiotics and chemicals in aquaculture to the ASEAN region. This project is comprised of the following activities: i) Withdrawal period of antibiotics in some fish species cultured in the tropics, ii) Surveillance of chemical contaminants in aquaculture products and feeds, iii) Investigation of the situation of antibiotics/chemicals usage and regulations in aquaculture, iv) Guidelines on appropriate administration and regulation of antibiotics/other chemicals.