New checks for seafood exports

New checks for seafood exports

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has decided to revise some measures to check the chemical and antibiotic residue on seafood before being exported to Japan and Canada, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The minister has annulled Decision 2654/QD-BNN-QLCL, effective from 2011, on strengthening the control of Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin residues and testing from samples of 100 per cent of consignments of shrimp, tra and basa fish or processed seafood products before exporting them to Canada and Japan.

The ministry will conduct strict inspections on consignments processed by domestic seafood producers which Japan has warned of violating food safety laws against chemical and antibiotics residues. The violated seafood producers will be permitted to lift the inspection only when they satisfy essential requirements under the current regulations.

This adjustment was made after the Vasep made its recommendation to the Minister to ease difficulties for domestic seafood producers.

According to VASEP, the Law on Food Safety effective from July 1, 2011 clearly states that the certificate of origin and certificate of sanitation are issued only as requested by importers. However, Japan does not require the inspection and issuance of certificates from exporters.

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