A Pomona wholesaler was sentenced Feb. 26 to 15 months in federal prison for smuggling Chinese frozen roasted eel meant for human consumption into the United States.
Kevin Sheng Hsiang Fang, 41, pleaded guilty in May 2023 to one count of smuggling and one count of introducing adulterated food into interstate commerce, authorities said.
The eel had been previously refused entry into the country, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The prosecution of the case began when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sampled a batch of Chinese frozen roasted eel that Mr. Fang was importing into the country. The agency found it to be unsafe for human consumption and refused its entry into the United States.
Mr. Fang admitted that the eel was adulterated with Gentian Violet, Leucogentian Violet and Malachite Green, which are unsafe animal drugs.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement, the chemicals can result in the presence of residues of the parent compound or its metabolites in the seafood. Such may contribute to an increase of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens. Additionally , prolonged exposure to Malachite Green and Gentian Violet has been shown to have a carcinogenic effect, authorities said.
Mr. Fang was a high-volume importer of Chinese frozen roasted eel, commonly known as unagi.
He admitted to authorities that he had previously evaded detection and managed to import Chinese frozen roasted eel into the U.S. by mixing it with other eel, authorities said.
“Federal laws that prohibit the smuggling of certain food products are intended to protect consumers from hazards to their health,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the American people from such public health dangers and to ensure the safety of our food supply.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
