Aqua Trace App Launched to Strengthen Shrimp Export Traceability and Cut Rejections

The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has rolled out 'Aqua Trace', a nationwide app-based platform designed to enrol aquaculture farms and hatcheries into a formal traceability system. The initiative is intended to strengthen India's compliance with international food safety and sustainability standards across its shrimp and seafood export chain.

The announcement was made by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in the Lok Sabha, responding to a question from MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi regarding rejections of Indian shrimp consignments between 2018 and 2026. The Aqua Trace app is part of a broader national traceability framework that the government has been developing for fisheries and aquaculture, signalling a shift from reactive quality management to proactive, farm-level compliance tracking.

Despite persistent concerns about food safety in Indian seafood exports, the data presented in Parliament paints a relatively contained picture. The average rejection rate for shrimp consignments exported from India over 2018–26 stood at 0.13 per cent of total exports — a figure Minister Prasada described as a small proportion.

The three major markets reporting rejections were the United States, the European Union, and Japan. In 2026 alone, a total of 17 consignments were rejected, resulting in an estimated financial loss of ₹7.45 crore. The reasons cited included antibiotic residues, bacteriological contamination, unhygienic handling, and poor time-temperature control.

A notable improvement was visible on the antibiotic front: only nine consignments were rejected for antibiotic residues in 2026, compared with 27 in the previous year — a sharp decline that points to early traction from awareness and regulatory interventions.

To address antibiotic-related rejections, the government notified a series of regulations in 2025 aligned with national and international standards for aquaculture products. Key measures include:

• A ban on the import, manufacture, distribution, and sale of Chloramphenicol and Nitrofuran for use in food-producing animal rearing systems
• Prohibition of 37 antimicrobials reserved for human use from being used in shrimp, prawn, fish, and fisheries production
• Restrictions on 34 listed antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products

For consignments rejected for reasons other than antibiotic residues, a reprocessing and re-export route exists upon clearance from the Export Inspection Council through its Export Inspection Agencies. Alternatively, permission for domestic sale may be obtained from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India following mandatory testing in approved laboratories.

Alongside regulatory action, the government has intensified capacity-building efforts directed at shrimp farmers and processing workers. Programmes underway include antibiotic awareness campaigns, Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) training, and hygiene and HACCP training for processing units.

A National Framework for Traceability Systems in fisheries and aquaculture has also been formulated, providing a policy backbone for initiatives like Aqua Trace. Together, these measures aim to embed food safety discipline at the farm level — where contamination risks most often originate — rather than relying solely on end-of-chain inspection.

The urgency behind Aqua Trace is sharpened by an approaching international compliance deadline. According to industry sources, the United States plans to implement the Food Traceability List under the Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) from January 2028, which will make traceability documentation mandatory for all seafood consignments entering the US market.

Industry observers have noted that the government's current push is a step in the right direction, given that the US is already one of the top three markets flagging Indian shrimp rejections. Exporters who build robust farm-to-port traceability systems now will be better positioned to meet FSMA requirements without operational disruption when the deadline arrives.