No excessive drug residues detected in lobsterlings in Hubei

No excessive drug residue was detected from 66 randomly-tested samples on lobsterlings and products labeled pollution-free, according to the Hubei Aquatic Products Bureau on Sept. 1.

The provincial department yesterday informed the public that it has randomly tested 66 samples from 40 breeding bases, 12 wholesale markets and two supermarkets on lobsterlings and pollution-free products across the province and no excessive drug residues were detected and all tested samples were qualified.

Li Hongzhong, governor of the Hubei Province, has made special instructions on the suspected pathogenic lobsterlings report and emergency response system for the lobsterlings quality has been set up to strengthen safety supervision in all lobsterlings production links across the province.

It is reported that the Hubei province has an area of more than 2,000 square kilometers for lobsterling breeding with about 245,000 tons of annual output, representing a 52 percent of the export share nationwide. Hubei has ranked first in those three categories for three consecutive years in China’s domestic market.

Lobsterlings from Hubei are mainly exported to European countries, the United States, Japan and South Korea. Thus inspection and quarantine standards for exported lobsterlings are quite rigorous, which include at least 30 to 50 testing categories.

Exported lobsterlings from Hubei, however, never have been banned because of quality failure, said Shu Yaxin, an expert from the Hubei Fisheries Research Institute.

Meanwhile, the Hubei Aquatic Products Bureau has issued urgent notice to establish the traceability system to ensure quality and safety supervision in lobsterling breeding sections in all aquatic markets, to strengthen supervision on drug residues in aquatic products and investigate and penalize any use of prohibited substances.

By Li Mu, People's Daily Online