January 17, 2007

Vietnam seafood to ensure safety certificate in entering Russia

Vietnamese seafood bound to Russia must secure a certificate affirming its suitability on food hygiene requirements issued by Russian authorities.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh said the certificates must follow the regulations provided by Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS), adding seafood exports should be processed by establishments recognised by Vietnamese sanitation committee.

The certification, mandated by Minister Minh through Dispatch No 117, also ordered exporters to follow the strict procedures on packing and encoding as required by the National Fisheries Quality and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved).

Nafiqaved will assist enterprises that are already exporting to Russia in upgrading their processing plants and apply quality control programme in accordance with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) for any modification on Russian regulations.

The Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of Russia (VPSS) has stated in October 2006 it would inspect Vietnam seafood processing plants to ensure it has met the food sanitation and hygiene issued by Russian authorities.

VPSS Head Sergei Dankvert said it would first examine all tra and basa catfish processing firms and only the approved plants can enter the Russian market. 

Russia is one of Vietnam's biggest consumers of catfish and catfish products.