Contribution to the Revision of the Senegalese Law on the Use of Sulfites for the Treatment of Crustaceans: the Case of Shrimp

Abstract

Shrimp, by its considerable economic importance, is the second shellfish species exported in Senegal. Blackening of untreated sulfites shrimp causes discharges estimated at 10% of the total landed shrimp according to the shrimp processing plant companies. Health problems caused by handling and / or consumption of sulphites (asthmatic subjects) occured. The 2006-52 Directive of 5 July 2006 at Community level and Senegalese Decree No. 00493 of 11 February 2005 governed their use by rules. The Differences in the rules governing SO2 residues could cause Technical trade Barriers in international exchanges. In Senegal, the Competent Authority (CA), a part of its mission of monitoring and inspection of fish products, especially shrimp, cooperate with two chemistry laboratories for detecting residues of SO2. However, the differences noted on the results provided by these two laboratories (Lab1 and 2) make difficult interpretations. This study aims to remove existing ambiguities on the analyzes and interpretation of results regarding to national and community regulations. During the study, more investigations and analyzes of archival data, samples of untreated and treated shrimp sodium metabisulfite were analyzed respectively in the laboratory of the Division of Inspection and Control (DIC) to assess blackening and laboratories 1, 2 and 3 for the detection of residual sulphite in shrimp. Firstly, the results show that the shrimp processing and regulations governing the residual SO2 levels in their flesh can not be effective without taking account of their caliber, and secondly, that the divergence of results provided by the Labo-1 and 2 is more methodological. Thus, the study calls for regulatory oversight in order to harmonize national and international regulations governing the residual SO2 levels in shrimp. It also recommends the creation of a common reference for the determination of residues of SO2 in the flesh of shrimp.