Prohibition order, notified by the Department of Commerce, Union Ministry of Commerceand Industry under the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act (1963), bans several antibiotics, antivirals and antiprotozoals, such as Carboxypenicillins, Favipiravir, Nitazoxanide, etc.
Why were these substances banned?
- Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in aquaculture contributes to AMR.
- AMR is the ability of microorganisms to resist the effects of drugs, making infections harder to treat.
- Impact on Seafood Exports: Residues of antimicrobials in exported seafood risk import rejections under the non-tariff measures such as Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.
What are Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures?
- Definition: SPS measures are biosecurity measures to protect human, animal, and plant health from pests, diseases, and contaminants in food & feed.
- These measures are governed by the WTO’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (1995).
- This Agreement provides rules for WTO Members to develop, adopt, and enforce scientific and non-discriminatory SPS measures with regard to international trade while minimizing trade disruptions.
- Recommended International Standards under the SPS Agreement include:
- FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) for food safety;
- World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) for animal health and zoonoses;
- FAO International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC): for plant protection.
