FDA Signs First-of-its-Kind Arrangement with Ecuador to Ensure Safety of Shrimp Exported to U.S.
On August 24, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) signed a Regulatory Partnership Arrangement (RPA) with Ecuador’s Vice Ministry of Aquaculture and Fisheries (VMAF) to strengthen the safety of Ecuadorian shrimp intended for sale in the U.S. market.
Shrimp is the most widely consumed seafood in the U.S, most of which is imported. Ecuador is one of the leading exporters of aquacultured shrimp to the U.S. In 2021, U.S. Congress mandated FDA to consider and develop new options for enhancing the regulation of imported aquacultured shrimp, including setting up an RPA with each of the three largest exporting countries by volume—India, Indonesia, and Ecuador.