SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is highlighting the risks of antibiotic and drug residue contamination in seafood through a feature article.
With the intensification of aquaculture for shrimp, salmon, trout, tilapia, catfish and other finfish, disease management has become a critical concern. Many aquatic diseases are caused not by bacteria, but by viruses, parasites, fungi or multifactorial conditions that suppress immunity. Despite this, antibiotics are often misused – posing serious risks to public health and the environment through antimicrobial resistance and contamination.
The article explores the regulatory response to these challenges. The European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) has reported a sharp rise in notifications related to prohibited substances or residues exceeding maximum residue limits (MRLs) in seafood. In the first ten months of 2025 alone, RASFF recorded 26 notifications involving drug residues. This follows a 50% increase in such alerts in 2024 compared to 2023, underscoring a growing concern over drug contamination in aquaculture products.
EU Regulations 37/2010 and 470/2018 prohibit the use of chloramphenicol and nitrofurans – antibiotics reserved for human medicine – and Regulation 2019/1871 bans carcinogenic triphenylmethane dyes such as malachite green and crystal violet. While quinolones, tetracyclines, amphenicols and sulfonamides remain widely used in aquaculture, ensuring compliance requires technical expertise, especially when some residues may originate from natural sources or cross-contamination.
SGS’s article also outlines its advanced testing solutions for verifying seafood safety and regulatory compliance. Using accredited LC-MSMS methods, SGS laboratories detect antibiotic and drug residues in seafood products, either in Europe or prior to export from major producing regions including China, India and Latin America.
Through its global network of laboratories and food safety experts, SGS helps seafood businesses navigate complex residue regulations and deliver safe, high-quality products to international markets.
Interested parties can learn more here.
