Vietnam tightens seafood import standards

HCMC – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will look into food hygiene and safety standards of countries exporting seafood to Vietnam, said Deputy Minister Luong Le Phuong.

Initially, inspections of seafood products from South Korea, China and Canada would be conducted.

This is part of the Circular No. 25/2010/TT-BNNPTNT on food hygiene and safety control for imported products of animal origin. The circular, released by the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (Nafiqad), will take effect from Wednesday.

“Vietnamese exporters for many years have to follow technical requirements of international importers. So, we have to apply the same standards to protect local consumers and ensure quality of meat products on the market,” Phuong said. The ministry had earlier extended enactment of the circular from July 1 until September 1 due to difficulties on the part of foreign exporters.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), around 80 countries are exporting seafood to Vietnam. The nation mainly imports material for processing to re-export to other markets.

“Assessing the seafood exporting enterprises will help the nation reduce risks in re-exporting the products to choosy markets such as Japan, Europe and North America,” Phuong added.

The circular lists imported foodstuffs of animal origin under the ministry’s management including seafood, cattle, poultry, additives, eggs and honey.

Under the new legislation, food business operator (FBO) is the term for the producer of the final product prior to export to Vietnam. They are producers, not exporters. For example, in case of live crab being exported, farming and packing sites must be registered with the ministry, while in the case of crab meat being exported, it is the processors not the farms that need to register.