A team from the European Union (EU) plans to visit some frozen shrimp exporters, shrimp factories, and marketing facilities in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Khulna from December 5 to December 10 this year, according to the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association (BFFEA). Back in 2018, the EU sent a delegation to Bangladesh, one of the top shrimp exporting country, to check on hygiene, labor conditions, environmental impact, shrimp quality, and processing in various shrimp and marketing factories.
The EU has rejected numerous shipments from Bangladeshi exporters because they didn’t meet the EU’s rules for shrimp exports, according to the stakeholders. Recently, the EU returned some shrimp shipments to certain exporters, suspecting them of engaging in fraudulent activities, including mixing chemicals with shrimp, which is mostly happened by the local shrimp suppliers, a BFFEA representative confirmed.
A coordination meeting took place on September 4 involving the Khulna district administration, Department of Fisheries, BFFEA, and concerned stakeholders. During the meeting, stakeholders, including exporters, were asked to uphold shrimp quality. Law enforcement agencies like the Rapid Action Battalion and Coast Guard were urged to cooperate with the food inspection quality control (FICQ) of the fisheries department to combat the issue of chemical mixing with shrimp.
Joydeb Paul, District Fisheries Officer of Khulna, explained that the EU delegation aims to inspect food safety, hygiene, sanitation, factory conditions, and labor-friendly workplaces. He noted that buyers have rejected frozen foods, especially shrimp, for various reasons but sometimes accept them after certain conditions are met.
A high official form BFFEA, stated that Bangladeshi shrimp industry stakeholders are taking steps to maintain the quality of frozen foods. He urged shrimp traders, exporters, and producers to ensure the quality of frozen shrimp in the global market and meet buyers’ expectations. He also called for the repair of Bir Shreshtha Ruhul Ameen Road in Bagmara, Khulna, as more than 60% of shrimp factories are located in that area.
