UNITED NATIONS
More than three weeks after removing all Korean certified shippersof molluscan fresh and frozen shellfish and shellfish products fromthe Interstate Certified Shellfish Shippers List, FDA todayissued the following statement: Important Information for Food Distributors, Retailers, and FoodService Operators Regarding the Sourcing of Molluscan Shellfishfrom Korea May 18, 2012 Oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops from Korea should be removedfrom the market On May 1, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed allKorean certified shippers of molluscan shellfish (oysters, clams,mussels, and scallops) from the Interstate Certified ShellfishShippers List (ICSSL), following a comprehensive FDA evaluationthat determined that the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program (KSSP)no longer meets the sanitation controls spelled out under theNational Shellfish Sanitation Program. FDA s evaluation of theKSSP found significant shellfish growing area deficienciesincluding: a. ineffective management of land-based pollution sources thatcan impact shellfish growing areas; b. inadequate sanitary controls to prevent the discharge ofhuman fecal waste from fish farms and commercial fishing andaquaculture vessels operating in and adjacent to shellfish growingareas; and c. detection of norovirus in shellfish growing areas analyzedby FDA during the evaluation Because of inadequate sanitation controls, the molluscan shellfishharvested from Korean waters may have been exposed to human fecalwaste and have the potential to be contaminated with norovirus.
Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis.Symptoms of illness associated with norovirus include nausea,vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. Affected individualsoften experience low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle achesand a general sense of tiredness. Most people show symptoms within48 hours of exposure to the virus. The illness typically lasts oneto two days.
Norovirus is usually not life-threatening and does notgenerally cause long-term effects. The removal of Korean shellfish shippers from the ICSSL is intendedto stop the import of molluscan shellfish harvested from pollutedwaters. Korean molluscan shellfish that entered the United Statesprior to May 1 and any product made with Korean molluscan shellfishare considered adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, andCosmetic Act. FDA recommends that food distributors, retailers, and food serviceoperators remove from sale or service, all fresh, frozen, andprocessed Korean molluscan shellfish and any product subsequentlymade with them. Korean molluscan shellfish represents only a smallfraction of the oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops sold in theUnited States. Beverage Filling Machine
FDA is currently working to determine thedistribution of the product. Distributors, retailers, and food service operators can continue toreceive molluscan shellfish from any of the other shellfishshippers listed in the ICSSL. Consumers who have recently bought molluscan shellfish and areconcerned that it may have come from Korea, should contact thestore from which it was purchased and ask where the shellfish wereharvested. Product from Korea should not be consumed. Drinking Water Treatment Systems
No U.S. illnesses from the consumption of Korean shellfish havebeen reported in 2012. The import ban covers all fresh and frozen oysters, clams, musselsand scallops, including frozen breaded shellfish products. Cannedshellfish are not affected by the ban. The Republic of Korea was one of only five countries that had shellfish sanitation agreements with FDA , and whose raw shellfish products were accepted for the US market.The four remaining countries are Canada, Chile, Mexico and NewZealand. Glass Bottle Filling Machine Manufacturer
While FDA has not commented on what provoked the reevaluation, itwas most likely prompted by a cluster of three cases of norovirusgastroenteritis in Washington state in the autumn of 2011, and asubsequent illness reported in Pennsylvania. All of the illnesseswere linked to consumption of frozen oysters imported from Korea . FDA recovered norovirus from the oysters associated both with theWashington cases and with the case in Pennsylvania. The illnesses, combined with the confirmation of norovirus insamples of the oysters, led to a series of three recalls , on November 4th , and November 18th of last year, and on January 23, 2012.
What You Need To Know Norovirus infection causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and somestomach cramping; most people recover within two to three dayswithout medical treatment. People with norovirus infection shoulddrink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and use good handwashing and other hygienic practices to prevent the spread ofillness to others. FDA considers all fresh and fresh frozen molluscan shellfish andall products subsequently derived from fresh and fresh frozenmolluscan shellfish from the Republic of Korea to be adulterated. Consumers should check the country-of-origin information typicallyincluded on the labels of fresh and fresh frozen shellfishpackaging, and discard
Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis.Symptoms of illness associated with norovirus include nausea,vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. Affected individualsoften experience low-grade fever, chills, headache, muscle achesand a general sense of tiredness. Most people show symptoms within48 hours of exposure to the virus. The illness typically lasts oneto two days.
Norovirus is usually not life-threatening and does notgenerally cause long-term effects. The removal of Korean shellfish shippers from the ICSSL is intendedto stop the import of molluscan shellfish harvested from pollutedwaters. Korean molluscan shellfish that entered the United Statesprior to May 1 and any product made with Korean molluscan shellfishare considered adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, andCosmetic Act. FDA recommends that food distributors, retailers, and food serviceoperators remove from sale or service, all fresh, frozen, andprocessed Korean molluscan shellfish and any product subsequentlymade with them. Korean molluscan shellfish represents only a smallfraction of the oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops sold in theUnited States. Beverage Filling Machine
FDA is currently working to determine thedistribution of the product. Distributors, retailers, and food service operators can continue toreceive molluscan shellfish from any of the other shellfishshippers listed in the ICSSL. Consumers who have recently bought molluscan shellfish and areconcerned that it may have come from Korea, should contact thestore from which it was purchased and ask where the shellfish wereharvested. Product from Korea should not be consumed. Drinking Water Treatment Systems
No U.S. illnesses from the consumption of Korean shellfish havebeen reported in 2012. The import ban covers all fresh and frozen oysters, clams, musselsand scallops, including frozen breaded shellfish products. Cannedshellfish are not affected by the ban. The Republic of Korea was one of only five countries that had shellfish sanitation agreements with FDA , and whose raw shellfish products were accepted for the US market.The four remaining countries are Canada, Chile, Mexico and NewZealand. Glass Bottle Filling Machine Manufacturer
While FDA has not commented on what provoked the reevaluation, itwas most likely prompted by a cluster of three cases of norovirusgastroenteritis in Washington state in the autumn of 2011, and asubsequent illness reported in Pennsylvania. All of the illnesseswere linked to consumption of frozen oysters imported from Korea . FDA recovered norovirus from the oysters associated both with theWashington cases and with the case in Pennsylvania. The illnesses, combined with the confirmation of norovirus insamples of the oysters, led to a series of three recalls , on November 4th , and November 18th of last year, and on January 23, 2012.
What You Need To Know Norovirus infection causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and somestomach cramping; most people recover within two to three dayswithout medical treatment. People with norovirus infection shoulddrink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and use good handwashing and other hygienic practices to prevent the spread ofillness to others. FDA considers all fresh and fresh frozen molluscan shellfish andall products subsequently derived from fresh and fresh frozenmolluscan shellfish from the Republic of Korea to be adulterated. Consumers should check the country-of-origin information typicallyincluded on the labels of fresh and fresh frozen shellfishpackaging, and discard