Ecuador’s white shrimp Photo: Courtesy of Commercial Office of Ecuador in Shanghai

Local authorities and e-commerce platforms have started to recall Ecuadorian white shrimp after it was announced on Friday that shipments from three companies had tested positive for coronavirus, according to media reports. 

By Saturday morning, a total of 77.8 tons of Ecuadorian white shrimp from the three companies banned by customs authorities had been recalled in East China's Zhejiang Province. 

Local grocery markets, supermarkets, retailers and restaurant owners are under supervision and clearing products produced by the three companies after March 12. 

E-commerce platforms selling fresh produce, including JD.com and Alibaba-owned HEMAFresh, have also started to search their stock for products with high risks. 

China's customs authority, the General Administration of Customs (GAC), said on Friday that samples from shipments from Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila SA, Empacreci SA and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima had tested positive for COVID-19. 

The positive results, however, were limited to outer packaging, and tests on the frozen shrimp and inner packaging came back negative. The customs authority announced the suspension of imports from the three companies and that all their products produced after March 12 and imported to China would be destroyed. 

Global Times