The problem with Pangasius - KNOE 8 News; KNOE-TV; KNOE.com |

WASHINGTON, D.C., (KNOE 8 News) - Last month, the FDA refused entry of four shipments of Vietnamese pangasius (aka "Shark Catfish") tainted with nitrofurans. 

The FDA says nitrofuran is banned because: "Studies have shown that residues of nitrofurans ingested by consumption of contaminated product are bioavailable. When consumed, nitrofuran residues are absorbed by the consumer's body and again form tissue-bound residues. Since the compound is considered to be carcinogenic and genotoxic, consumption over time of product contaminated with nitrofurans may present a human health risk."

The FDA visually inspects only two-percent of seafood imports and subjects only a fraction (two-tenths of one percent) to laboratory tests.  More than 98 percent of imported seafood lands on American dining tables without even a simple, visual inspection.  This is why the U.S. Government Accountability Office said last year that tainted seafood imports may be in our nation's food chain.

The European Union, on the other hand, inspects twice as much imported seafood as the United States.  This may explain why the market for pangasius in Europe is plunging. 

What exactly is Pangasius and how much do we eat here in the U.S.?

According to the NFI, this mild-flavored white-flesh fish is farmed in Asia, and is being used increasingly in food service. It is finding its way onto restaurant menus and into stores as well, where one may see it called basa, tra, or swai.

In 2009, Pangasius made it onto the National Fisheries Institute's "Top Ten" list of the most consumed seafood in the United States. The Top 10 is based on tonnage of fish sold.