IT has long been held in urban legend that eating imported shrimp is bad for you, and the claim has been widely reported in the media for years, but now Scottish scientists have proven that the legend is a myth.

Researchers at Stirling University have challenged the concerns around the consumption of imported farmed shrimp with new research indicating that it is as safe as any other seafood product.

Experts observed the findings after using European Union data to perform a risk assessment on shrimp imports, which, according to the university, “have a reputation among some consumer groups as being of low quality”.

Professor Dave Little and Dr Richard Newton, of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, working with colleagues at Shanghai Ocean University, also found that shrimp imports have become much safer to consume in recent years.

Dr Newton said: “Farmed shrimp imported to the EU has a reputation among some consumer groups as being of low quality and this is sometimes reflected in the mainstream press, as well as on the internet.

“This has included claims that tropical farmed shrimp are grown in polluted water and treated with large quantities of chemicals, which can be harmful to human health.

The team found that information on the internet has continued the negative narrative, which is based on practices mostly phased out and does not reflect industry improvements.

Dr Newton added: “This means that imported farmed shrimp are no less safe than any other seafood product.”