Antibiotics have been found again in frozen shrimp processed in China and imported by Nichirei Corp., health ministry officials said Thursday.
The broad-spectrum antibiotic chlortetracycline (CTC) was detected in the shrimp when the Sendai Municipal Government checked shrimp in markets in June. Imports of food items with CTC residues are banned under the Food Sanitation Law.
Tokyo's Chuo Ward health center, which was notified of the discovery, ordered Nichirei to recall 4.2 tons of shrimp, according to the officials.
In September, the center checked frozen shrimp stored in a refrigerated warehouse and found CTC residue in three of four test batches, they said.
Based on the test results, Nichirei started to recall some 774 tons of frozen shrimp that had been imported from China after July 2002 but did not publicize it.
"We did not disclose it because we wanted to pull them from the market without any disruption," a Nichirei official said.