© Cámara National de de Acuacultura
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released the results from its 2022–2024 sampling and analysis program, which confirms the integrity of Ecuadorian shrimp exports. The program, which focused on economically motivated adulteration, specifically short-weighting, in imported frozen seafood, found that no Ecuadorian shrimp samples exhibited violations.
The FDA tested a total of 28 retail-packaged frozen seafood samples (25 shrimp, two squid, and one tilapia), each consisting of 48 units from the same production lot. Using the AOAC Method 963.18, the agency assessed compliance with net weight declarations. The results showed that all of the shrimp products samples, those originating from Ecuador had no short‑weighting violations – meaning the actual net weight matched the declared net weight on the label.
This is a notable outcome given the wider context of the program, where 36 percent of total samples (10 out of 28) were found to be in violation, with deviations ranging from 2.3 percent to 9.9 percent.
The positive findings affirm the rigorous standards upheld in Ecuadorian shrimp exports and highlight the importance of compliance with international requirements. According to Ecuador's National Chamber of Aquaculture, accurate net weight labelling is crucial for protecting transparency in trade, reinforcing consumer confidence, and preventing fraudulent practices such as economically motivated adulteration, where products are deliberately made to appear heavier or more substantial than they truly are.
