Shrimp sold in Dutch supermarkets often not fresh

Consumers association Consumentenbond is very critical about the freshness of shrimp sold in Dutch supermarkets Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Lidl. Jumbo's shrimp also contains more preservatives than is permitted by Dutch law, according to the association, NU.nl reports.

Consumentenbond scored Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Lidl's shrimp an insufficient 2.8 in therms of freshness, because they contained too much bacteria for the stated expiration date. The association also found that shrimp from Jumbo contain 7.5 grams of preservative benzoic acid per 100 grams, while the legal limit is 6 grams.

These findings were reported to the Dutch food and consumer product safety authority NVWA as well as the supermarkets themselves. The Consumentenbond also noted that all three supermarkets' hygiene was in order and that no bacteria was found that could make people sick.

Aldi scored the best when it came to the freshness of its shrimp with a score of 9.3, followed by Plus with 6.9 and Dirk with 6.8.

Most Dutch shrimp are sent to Morocco to be peeled, before they return to the Netherlands to be sold. According to the Consumentenbond, there is often between 1.5 and 2 months between the shrimp being caught and their expiration date. This period was shortest for Aldi at 33 days, and longest for Albert Heijn with up to four months.