A practical, bookmarkable guide to MHLW shrimp residue testing in 2025. What to test, how to sample, which documents to send, and how to avoid detention at the Japanese border.
If you ship vannamei or black tiger from Indonesia to Japan, you already know this: one unexpected LC-MS/MS finding at the border can erase months of margin. In our experience, the exporters who sail through MHLW checks in 2025 aren’t the ones “hoping for the best.” They’re the ones running a clear, pre-shipment plan that mirrors how Japan tests.
Here’s that plan, distilled from years of shipping to Japan and dealing with MHLW quarantine on the ground.
Why shrimp gets held in Japan right now
MHLW still finds nitrofuran metabolites and chloramphenicol in shrimp every month. The zero-tolerance policy hasn’t changed, and enhanced monitoring continues to target origin–species pairs with violations. We’ve also seen importers get cautious in the last six months, asking for lower LOQs and more lot-level documentation. The upside is predictable: if you align your testing with MHLW’s expectations, your odds of hold-and-test drop fast.
The 3 pillars of zero-detention shrimp
- Method. Match MHLW practice. Use ISO/IEC 17025 labs and validated LC-MS/MS methods with LOQs at or below what quarantine uses.
- Sampling. Composite the edible portion correctly across the lot. Keep chain-of-custody clean.
- Paper trail. Attach the right documents to the Food Import Notification so your importer can pre-clear and defend your shipment.
Week 1–2: Set up your program
Start with a pre-shipment residue panel that fits Japan’s risk profile.
- Minimum panel for shrimp to Japan: nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ, AMOZ, SEM, AHD) and chloramphenicol. These are zero-tolerance in practical terms. We recommend LOQs of ≤0.5 µg/kg for each nitrofuran metabolite and ≤0.1–0.3 µg/kg for chloramphenicol.
- Extended panel when you’re building trust or under enhanced monitoring: quinolones/fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides. Japan sets MRLs for many of these, but the real risk to your shipment is the zero-tolerance group above.
Pick your lab carefully. In my experience, this is where 3 out of 5 problems start.
- Use ISO/IEC 17025-accredited labs with validated LC-MS/MS methods for shrimp matrix.
- Confirm the lab’s LOQ in writing and ensure it meets or beats Japanese quarantine LOQs.
- Ask for method references aligned with MHLW protocols and check that the certificate of analysis (COA) includes lot ID, species, product form, and sampling date.
- Typical lead time is 4–7 working days for nitrofuran and chloramphenicol. Expedited 48–72 hours is often available.
- Ballpark cost we’re seeing in Indonesia: IDR 3–6 million for the nitrofuran panel, and IDR 1.5–3 million for chloramphenicol. Expedited fees add 30–50%.
Week 3–6: Sample like MHLW and document everything
Your sampling method should look like what quarantine will do on arrival.
- Sampling target. Edible portion only. For head-on shrimp, cut tail muscle only. For peeled, use the finished product. Avoid mixing heads or hepatopancreas, which can overstate risk.
- Primary units per lot. At least 5–10 cartons selected at random across the lot. From each carton, take enough pieces to yield 100–200 g of tail muscle. You’ll aim for a 1 kg composite sample per lot so the lab has enough for analysis and retests.
- Composite and retain. Make one composite sample per lot. Keep a sealed retention sample under the same conditions for 30–60 days.
- Chain-of-custody. Record lot code, carton numbers, carton positions in the container or cold store, sample weights, date/time, and who handled the sampling. Attach this to the COA.
Practical tip: if you produce both HOSO and peeled in the same lot, sample both forms and either test separately or proportionally blend based on sub-lot volumes. We’ve seen mixed-form lots cause headaches when the lab receives material that doesn’t match the commercial pack.
Week 7–12: Scale, optimize, and get off enhanced monitoring
If you’re on MHLW enhanced monitoring, two things move the needle: consecutive clean arrivals and a credible corrective action plan (CAPA). We recommend:
- Lot-by-lot pre-shipment testing for at least 10–20 consecutive lots while on the list, even if your importer doesn’t require it. More volume means faster exit.
- A written CAPA that covers farm vendor approval, banned-antibiotic declarations, feed and veterinary control, water testing, and internal rapid screening before final LC-MS/MS.
- Share COAs and CAPA summaries with your importer. They can ask quarantine to review your status after a string of compliant shipments. Timelines vary, but 3–6 months is realistic if you’re shipping regularly.
Need help tailoring a test plan and CAPA to your farms and pack styles? You can Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll share the templates we use with our Japanese customers.
Practical Q&A from real shipments
Which antibiotics are zero-tolerance for shrimp in Japan and how are they tested by MHLW?
Chloramphenicol and nitrofurans are effectively zero-tolerance. MHLW screens and confirms by LC-MS/MS. For nitrofurans, quarantine tests the metabolites AOZ, AMOZ, SEM, and AHD. Detection at or above the method’s LOQ leads to violation.
Do I need to test every shrimp lot for nitrofurans and chloramphenicol before shipping from Indonesia?
If you’re new to Japan, under enhanced monitoring, or changing farms/processing lines, yes, test each lot. Once you’ve built a clean history, some buyers accept reduced frequency, but we still test every export lot for the zero-tolerance group. It’s cheaper than a border detention.
What sample size and composite method matches MHLW practice?
Plan for a 1 kg composite per lot. Pull 5–10 primary samples from different cartons, focusing on the edible tail muscle. Homogenize, then send 200–500 g to the lab and keep the rest as retention. Clearly link the composite to your commercial lot code.
Are Indonesian lab certificates accepted, or will MHLW re-test on arrival?
Well-prepared Indonesian COAs are accepted as supporting documents, but MHLW may still sample on arrival under risk-based or enhanced monitoring regimes. A strong COA shortens conversations and, over time, can reduce inspection frequency.
How do I attach residue test results to the MHLW Food Import Notification via my importer?
Your importer files the Food Import Notification through NACCS. Provide them with the COA PDF, chain-of-custody sheet, and production lot mapping. They will attach the COA in the “other documents” section of the notification, ensuring the lot code, species, HS code, pack type, and weight match the invoice and packing list. Pre-arrival filing with complete documents speeds up clearance.
What triggers MHLW enhanced monitoring for shrimp, and how can we get off the list?
Triggers include a recent violation for your origin–species pair, repeated port-of-entry findings, and patterns in MHLW’s monitoring data. To exit, maintain a run of compliant shipments and submit a credible CAPA through your importer. Volume and consistency matter more than one-off clean results.
What happens if nitrofurans are detected at the Japanese border?
The lot is detained. The importer chooses destruction or re-export at their cost, and your product–origin combination may face heightened inspections going forward. Internally, run a root-cause review at farm and factory, re-test retained samples, and document preventive measures. Don’t rush a replacement shipment without fixing the source. MHLW watches patterns.
Five mistakes that get shrimp detained (and how to avoid them)
- Sampling heads and viscera. This inflates risk and doesn’t match MHLW’s edible-portion practice. Sample tail muscle only.
- LOQs that look fine on paper but don’t match quarantine. Always confirm LOQs meet or beat Japan’s. We ask labs for ≤0.5 µg/kg for AOZ/AMOZ/SEM/AHD and ≤0.1–0.3 µg/kg for chloramphenicol.
- Lot mismatch. The COA lot code doesn’t match the shipped lot. Keep a single lot ID across production, sampling, COA, and shipping docs.
- Testing the wrong form. If you ship peeled tail-on, test peeled tail-on. If you ship HOSO, sample tails from HOSO cartons. Quarantine may ask why your COA doesn’t match the pack.
- Shipping before results. Sounds obvious, but we still see it. Don’t load until you have the signed COA and you’ve cross-checked IDs.
Where our products fit in
For buyers needing consistent, Japan-ready shrimp, our Frozen Shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei & Wild Caught) program includes lot-level residue testing, documented sampling protocols, and importer-ready COAs. If you’re building a broader seafood line for Japan alongside shrimp, we also run sashimi-capable tuna items with similar documentation standards. Questions about specifications or test panels? Call us and we’ll share recent Japan-bound specs we’re using.
Resources and next steps
- Build your 2025 test plan around zero-tolerance risks first. Add extended panels if you’re new or under scrutiny.
- Mirror MHLW sampling. 1 kg composite, edible portion only, clean chain-of-custody.
- Pre-attach COAs to the Food Import Notification via your importer’s NACCS filing. Make sure every code matches.
- If you’ve had a violation, don’t argue with the method. Fix the farm controls, document your CAPA, and ship a run of clean lots.
We’ve found that consistency beats heroics in Japan. Set the program once. Run it every lot. And keep your paperwork as tight as your process. That’s how you avoid detentions and keep your buyer’s trust in 2025.