Imported Seafood /Antibiotics /Superbugs / NOT SAFE

[Chimo]

News just hitting the airwaves is that AQUIS have detected levels of antibiotics in large percentages of seafood eg prawns etc from OS.

In a nutshell these low level detections are an issue as they pemit the development of superbugs that can then get into humans. Not clever as superbugs are already an issue in our hospitals and with the flu and gastro issues this is just another staw to break more "backs"

This together with resistance to antibiotics that is prevalent is the last thing we need.

Suggest you keep your eyes and open for more reports and if you ever thought about eating imported seafood think again.

No doubt this would include commercial food outlets that may choose the cheaper seafood for their food for sale.:'(

Mods please place this where ever you deem appropriate

Cheers
Chimo

[el_carpo]

Not good. The way they've thrown those antibiotics around is going to REALLY come back to haunt us. When I say "they" I don't just mean the Chinese either. It's just mind-blowingly crazy. What a stupid way to kill our own species off. Oh well.

Thanks for the post Chimo. I hope they get a handle on the situation fast and nothing bad happens.

[reelchippy]

Should be much better testing before we let that SHIT IN TO AUS

[craig51063]

i believe its in our local chickens as well !!!!!!! this is not good

[bennykenny]

You know its not just these cheaper commercial outlets that are using these cheap imports, being a chef myself i can tell you that 95% of restaurants use this imported seafood, from prawns, scampi, freshwater bassa to even barramundi we are all importing from asia, and we've been getting it for the last 20+ years.
I know that with these prawns, that we get from asia can also have a problem with a fungal diesese called white spot, now the problem is that because this prawn meat is so cheap that fisherman may start using these prawns as bait, and that the spread of this diesese to our local prawns, now that would be devistating.
so next time your in a restaurant, just be sure to ask you waiter where the seafood your about to eat comes from.....

[blaze]

You know its not just these cheaper commercial outlets that are using these cheap imports, being a chef myself i can tell you that 95% of restaurants use this imported seafood, from prawns, scampi, freshwater bassa to even barramundi we are all importing from asia, and we've been getting it for the last 20+ years.
I know that with these prawns, that we get from asia can also have a problem with a fungal diesese called white spot, now the problem is that because this prawn meat is so cheap that fisherman may start using these prawns as bait, and that the spread of this diesese to our local prawns, now that would be devistating.
so next time your in a restaurant, just be sure to ask you waiter where the seafood your about to eat comes from.....
and do you think they are going to be honest, had a meal in stanley in tassie some time back, on the menu was red emporor. The waitress told me it had been caught locally and fresh. I am in tassie. Global warming aint that hot yet
cheers
blaze

[theoldlegend]

You know its not just these cheaper commercial outlets that are using these cheap imports, being a chef myself i can tell you that 95% of restaurants use this imported seafood, from prawns, scampi, freshwater bassa to even barramundi we are all importing from asia, and we've been getting it for the last 20+ years.
I know that with these prawns, that we get from asia can also have a problem with a fungal diesese called white spot, now the problem is that because this prawn meat is so cheap that fisherman may start using these prawns as bait, and that the spread of this diesese to our local prawns, now that would be devistating.
so next time your in a restaurant, just be sure to ask you waiter where the seafood your about to eat comes from.....

Benny,

I'm sure that if we asked where the seafood came from that we were about to eat, the staff would feign horror and/or dismay and reply, "Why sir! This establishment only sources the freshest and the best from local suppliers!"

It's a load of crud really. Makes you wonder just what we're eating sometimes.

TOL

[Tailortaker]

It's amazing when you see some of the origins of the seafood we sell in Australian supermarkets. Most of it is from Thailand, nigeria Indo. It's rediculous that we are importing foods such as Snapper and prawns from thailand when we have such a good local product. I spose it all comes down to the mighty dollar but to what risk ? I manage a supermarket and have drastically reduced the amount of seafood that I sell. I now only have a small frozen section, not the rediculous "thawed for your convinience" section. I did look into using a local supplier so I could sell proper fresh seafood but there is no need when he has a terrific shop only 2mins up the street.
Cheers TT
________
FIX PS3 (http://fixps3.info/)

[Chimo]

There is no way you will find local seafood eg prawns etc in eateries due to price so the only way is to not order those meals that may contain the substandard imported gear and order only food that has to be our local stuff BUT make sure you tell the waiter / management etc the reason for so doing.

If enough people did this two things may happen
1 food stores restaraunts may choose to not use imports (possibly unlikely) and importantly
2 you won't ingest low dose antibiotics etc and as a result you willreduce your susceptibility for a superbug infection / and have a better treatment outcome if or when you have to go into a hospital

I know its not much but at least its having a go

Chimo

[edleigh7]

I don't eat imported seafood anyway, i don't mind paying the extra dollars for local....according to bennykenny maybe i am in restaurants, will have to sus that out next time, thanks for the tip:-/

Ed

[Lovey80]

There's one thing that you'll never see me buy and thats the ol Vanemei prawn. The Aussie prawners are getting cained enough by the regulations without getting out priced by the imported crap. I heard that the anitbiotics are there purely to keep the prawns alive because if they didn't the putrid dams etc they are farmed in would kill them ASAP. Can anyone confirm this?

Cheers Chris

[kingtin]

Only caught the tail end of it on the news last night but they were talking to someone who has successfully canvassed to have raw prawns and prawn meat, banned from being imported.

kev

Top Tips:

Don't buy expensive 'ribbed' condoms, just buy an ordinary one and slip a handful of frozen peas inside it before you put it on.

[disorderly]

Only caught the tail end of it on the news last night but they were talking to someone who has successfully canvassed to have raw prawns and prawn meat, banned from being imported.

kev

Top Tips:

Don't buy expensive 'ribbed' condoms, just buy an ordinary one and slip a handful of frozen peas inside it before you put it on.

yeah kev,

I also read an article a couple of days ago that confirms that raw prawns at least will no longer be imported.
Bit of both good and bad in that though.
We might need to hand out more trawling licences to cover the shortfall!http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/cry.gif

Also love your latest tip.
Though as I'm sure my missus would say"why use peas when brussell sprouts taste so much better"

Scott

[tunaticer]

On the ABC show Quantum last night they had a section on a scientist in Aus who is on the warpath against antibiotics and drugs that is passing into our waterways and seas. He can test ANY treated sewerage water in Aus and get high levels of antibiotics and drugs in the samples. He is saying that the reproductive rates of fish and wild animals is being affected measureably.
Imagine how much of "the pill" will pass through a females body and out through the sewerage treatment plants and into the waterways on a daily basis. Surely it could be accumulative in some animals or sealife.

This guy is of the opinion that this could well be our own breeding ground for superviruses in Australia.

I wonder how much of this stuff we will be recycling into our drinking waters if the sewerage plants cant pull out these chemical strings?

Jack.

[Lucky_Phill]

In the manufacturing industry, if a product can be made in Aust and there is someone that wants to ' import ' that product from OS, it attracts a tarrif.

Prawns can be caught and grown in here, place a 100% tarrif on imports and see how they go !!!

Don't eat imports, but do favour farmed prawn.

IMO........

Phill

[manchild]

here is a link :http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=175487&_cobr=optus

[kingtin]

Also love your latest tip.
Though as I'm sure my missus would say"why use peas when brussell sprouts taste so much better"

Scott

What's with the sprouts then Scott? Is the main course not big enough? :-X :P ;D

kev

Top Tips:

Housewives. I find the best way to get two bottles of washing-up liquid for the price of one is by putting one in your shopping trolley and the other in your coat pocket.

[Foxy4]

All i can say is Thank God i don't eat any seafood now days. Local caught or imported. But it was not just in seafood either. They are doping everything they can over there and then shipping if out.

[disorderly]

What's with the sprouts then Scott? Is the main course not big enough? :-X :P ;D

kev

Top Tips:

Housewives. I find the best way to get two bottles of washing-up liquid for the price of one is by putting one in your shopping trolley and the other in your coat pocket.

kev,

My wife is from the United States.Everything needs to therefore be bigger and better.
I sometimes feel its hard to measure up
http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/rolleyes.gifhttp://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/grin.gif

scott

[Bob H]

reckon we are being ripped off with local prawn costs?, wait till they bann the imported stuff. they were only imported in the first place ,because local was too dear, cant fathom how stuff can travel thousands of ks go through customs and still be cheaper than local. bob h

[choppa]

reckon we are being ripped off with local prawn costs?, wait till they bann the imported stuff. they were only imported in the first place ,because local was too dear, cant fathom how stuff can travel thousands of ks go through customs and still be cheaper than local. bob h


virgin airways,,,,, and economy class?????????????

choppa

[GHOST-147]

In regards to this issue which is serious, it's also been blown way out of proportion. The major issue is that as expected, it has the expected effect on the community to engage in an unintelligent outcry. Secondly, apart from the fact that we should decrease our importation of seafood, nothing has been done to control and regulate Australia's seafood pricing structure which is blown way out in comparison to other economic variables. Thirdly, the issue preys on the fact that most of society actually lack the knowledge in regards to antibiotics and medicine in general............ which is true.

Suggestion, before making ridiculous statements about this matter, which invariably all people will do anyway, work out how antibiotics works, and most importantly actually which is more pertinent than anything, the question that had been avoided is, what happens to antibiotics when you cook the fish???? Why is this avoided, cos the hitting point is antibiotics in seafood, we must STOP it from entering our shores.

I'm not saying I disagree with the ban. On the contrary. But some facts should be mentioned first before hysterical rubbish is brought through surely.

[Chimo]

Hi Ghost

Re imported seafood........... if your happy to eat it then go for it.

Re Pricing ....... don't care, I'll eat local trawler stock to avoid additives like antibiotics.

Why, ? because as you probably know, a low dose of antibiotic fed to a population assures the development of antibiotic resistant bugs which I don't want in me or mine as this will result in prescribed medicine; on the infrequent times we need; it not working to control what ails me and mine.

Its a lot like farmers using low rates of chemical weedicides and not rotating them that led to herbicide resistant weeds and all the hassle and cost that has caused. Mind you Japanese greenkeepers love herbicide resistant ryegrass, it makes for lovely golfcourses! but I digress..........

Cheers
Chimo

[GHOST-147]

Do you realise you're talking about antibiotics in seafood in regards to seafood which is entirely different from the use of antibiotics in humans to ward off bacterial infection? Which also in that case, has little relevance to superbugs, etc.

If you have any idea or knowledge of medicine, science and microbiology as well as virology you'd realise your statements are far from completely factual.

Secondly, if you're cooking the seafood, then as I asked, do you know what happens to antibiotics?????

Thirdly, as I pointed, I am myself against the importation of overseas seafood as I don't see it being necessary, however I also do see it as a global economic need to do so. Australia has one of the best quarantine measures in the world and the fictious rumours that go through the normal media channels don't assist in the spread of half truths of conjecture as well as paranoia.

As with most people, your knowledge is misguided and well misinformed.

[dop]

G'day Ausfishers

Never have and never will buy overseas seafood crap.Coles and Woolies started flooding this crap in search of higher gross profit Pretty sick to think that down the Tweed ,fish of the day is usually this bassa crap
Regards Peter

[bennykenny]

hi guys,
Ghost147, you seem pretty hell bent on telling us that we dont have any knowledge of medicine, science and microbiology as well as virology, and you know what, you're pretty right most of us dont have a bloddy idea but it seems you do from what you are claiming, so why dont you tell us about it, instead of just telling us that we have no idea, i know i for one would be interested in any information you could give us about it, if we have both sides of the story, only then can we make an informed decision, cheers Bennykenny.

[szopen]

My two cents...

I work in the food industry and have a bit of idea about how things work both in raising the animals, processing them and that funny part of business called marketing.

As for many years I have lived in Asia I have a good idea on how the farms and industry work there.

I am also a new immigrant.

And of course I fish.

So with that bit of background info here is my take.

Farmed animals are treated with antibiotics pretty much everywhere in the world where mass production is happening. Be it prawns farmed in Vietnam, China, US or Australia (correct it is done on the farms here as well). Same with cows, chickens, camels or frogs.

Part of life reality.

As a result of treatment with antibiotics both the animal body or animal products like eggs or milk will contain traces of them.

What is happening after?

After certain period of time the levels of antibiotics will fall below a certain acceptable level and the product will be fit for harvesting/processing/sale.

It will still contain traces of the antibiotics just that they will be "within allowed standard".

This standard will of course vary depending on situation from quite high like in beef for steaks to undetectable like in milk used for infant formula (where testing would detect antibiotic if one cow who had an antibiotic injection 3 weeks ago and whose milk was was mixed in a tanker with a milk of another thousand cows).

So from the reports it can be seen the seafood in question has been processed and sold before the antibiotics levels dropped to an acceptable levels.

What about the whole hype?

From my point of view what is a better way to beat the competition product than to paint it in the minds of consumers as unsafe or poisonous. Pretty much normal marketing practice.

Now if we remember another simple fact of life.
If the current seafood consumption levels would continue and imports stop the only place it will come is our wild stocks (with seafood farming at very low level in Australia).

Which simply means less wild fish/prawns/seafood for us to catch.

A bit hypocritical to protest against pro fishing and seafood imports at the same time.

[el_carpo]

If they raised cattle in better conditions instead of the factory farms where they cram as many of them as possible into the smallest possible space, they wouldn't have to load them up with antibiotics. (****Is that how they raise these imported fish?****) Of course you'll have disease. It's the perfect situation for a disease to rip through them. So to try to stop that, they inject them with tons of antibiotics. Now, sooner or later, some punk, beady-eyed bacteria is going to get used to these antibiotics and they won't effect it. That bacteria will be completely bullet-proof and can kill whatever it wants to ---cattle, pigs, tuna, fat people, three-toed sloth, guppies, orangutans, squirrels whatever.

Medicine is coming around and trying to cut out the irresponsible use of antibiotics. If you're familiar with the super-tuberculosis strain that has sprung out of the Russian prison system, you can see why this is a good thing. They're a bit late; a homeless Russian man with that strain of TB was found wandering around in Arizona recently. Gee, I hope he didn't cough too much.

Yeah, I think it would be better to raise the animals we eat in better conditions and give the antibiotics a rest whenever possible. Even if that means lower profits for or the end of the factory "farms."

I'm probably wrong, being one of the uninformed idiots and all, but I might not be. Like I said, oh well.

[szopen]

The sad truth is that even small farmers witha couple head of cattle do use antibiotics and they are usually less likely to follow the correct procedures. So it is not only the mass production.

Fish and seafood farms worldwide are pretty densly packed, same in Europe, Australia and in Asia.

As to raising animals in "like natural conditions" this can and is done, it is just that such product is drasticly more expensive and as such Joe Blow would not be able to have a steak.

[el_carpo]

If it would save the world, I'd settle for hamburger.;D;D;D

[Chimo]

Hi el carpo

Your take on it is about the same as mine which is why I put this thread up in the first place.

The concept of she'll be right is great while it works; but not so good when there are cowbows involved!

This situation is a lot like being just a little bit pregnant!!!!!!

I too am probably wrong, and just one more of the uninformed idiots, but I might not be.

Cheers
Chimo

[szopen]

Hi el carpo

Your take on it is about the same as mine which is why I put this thread up in the first place.

The concept of she'll be right is great while it works; but not so good when there are cowbows involved!

This situation is a lot like being just a little bit pregnant!!!!!!

I too am probably wrong, and just one more of the uninformed idiots, but I might not be.

Cheers
Chimo

The reason I have replied was to say that there is no point in bashing "imported seafood crap" over use of antibiotics when the local one is produced in pretty much the same way.

[kingtin]

The reason I have replied was to say that there is no point in bashing "imported seafood crap" over use of antibiotics when the local one is produced in pretty much the same way.

I think the greater concern should be directed, not just at antibiotics which are negated during {correct} cooking, ie sushi is a risk, but at other additives such as methylene blue and malachite green. Products based on these two chemicals are used extensively in the aquarist trade to treat fungus and white spot and have been adopted by the fish farming industry. They are well known carcinogens that do not degrade easily/quickly.

kev

[szopen]

I think the greater concern should be directed, not just at antibiotics which are negated during {correct} cooking, ie sushi is a risk, but at other additives such as methylene blue and malachite green. Products based on these two chemicals are used extensively in the aquarist trade to treat fungus and white spot and have been adopted by the fish farming industry. They are well known carcinogens that do not degrade easily/quickly.

kev

Hi there Kev,

Here you are perfectly right.
Fish (mainly from farms in Southern China) have been found not just with traces but with solid amounts of these two.

On the other side methinks that malachite green is also approved for water treatment of domestic pools here in Oz.

[disorderly]

So really, what are they feeding these fish?

malachite green?

soylent green?

I aint touching any of it.
and I'm sure Charton Heston wouldn't either!

[Little grey men]

Hey disorderly.

Soylent Green....HA HA HA Love it mate.
I think that would finally put me off seafood.

[bennykenny]

Ive just recivied a fax form my seafood supplier that says there will be price increases for any imported prawn product over the next few weeks with MORE increases to follow, as to the recently enforced imported prawn testing legislation for disease or antibiotic residue. Importers will have to pay for each container to be tested. Also there is only one testing body, so therefore there will be a shortage of this product as these containers wait to be tested. So i guess we can all rest asure that now our prawns are going to be safe... but with only one testing body how long will it be before they start getting a little lazy and pushing these containers through...... one can only guess