Vietnam’s shrimp industry has been making waves online lately – and not the good kind. Reports reveal that some Vietnamese shrimp exporters have begun injecting their product with chemicals to make it weigh more and appear fresh.
Why They’re Doing This
Disgusting video shows shrimp being injected with jelly to make it appear 'fresh' https://t.co/eYsmR4j5FN pic.twitter.com/ry818xHCnI
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 5, 2016
The Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, which produces 60% of Vietnam’s shrimp, is currently experiencing its worst drought in nearly a century.
The drought has ruined more than 81,000 hectares of shrimp ponds in the Mekong Delta, making it difficult for shrimp farmers to earn.
As Real Farmacy reports, some shrimp farmers are attempting to circumnavigate this issue by injecting their product with chemicals like carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), gelatin and glucose to make it weigh (and sell for) more.
One shrimp facility worker confessed to this on camera.
“Every day I buy around 30-50 kg of shrimp,” she said. “After I inject the substances, I sell them to seafood export companies in Ca Mau, Vietnam. I have to do this because all local shrimp suppliers do this.”
Implications For U.S. Shrimp Buyers
According to Natural Blaze, 8% of all shrimp Americans eat comes from Vietnam. That’s roughly 100 million pounds of shrimp annually.
In other words, if you’re a regular shrimp eater – particularly if you buy wholesale – you could be eating this chemically altered fish.
CMC, one of the chemicals some exported shrimp comes injected with, causes flatulence, diarrhea and cramps.
Of course, the very fact that consumers could be buying shrimp that’s not as high quality as they think is an issue in itself.
So, should you avoid Vietnamese shrimp?
Unfortunately, numbers seem to suggest you should. ConsumerReports.org conducted a study which proved that not only is Vietnamese shrimp pumped with chemicals – it’s also rich in bacteria.
58% of all salmon the organization tested showed positive for at least one of the following:
- Staphylococcus aureus
- E. coli
- Listeria
- Salmonella
If you’d like to help Vietnam during their drought, visit the Red Cross’ donation page here.
Sources:
ConsumerReports.org
Natural Blaze
Real Farmacy
WorldBank.org
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