With allegations spreading that some Vietnamese shrimp exporters are using agar-agar to increase weight, importers in the United States say it isn't a problem in the US market.
Nate Torch, vice president of US shrimp importer Central Seaway, told IntraFish there's far too much regulation for that level of tampering to occur.
"If we had shrimp oozing with that gelatin-like substance we'd know something about it," Torch said. "Plants are being very cautious about what's coming in and going out."
Injected in the head and the body of shrimp -- particularly black tigers -- agar-agar, a plant-based gelatin that can be bought in supermarkets and health stores across Asia, is allegedly used to increase weight.
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