March 2, 2007

Japan scans Vietnamese shrimp for chemical residue
 

 

Japanese authorities have begun testing all shrimp imported from Vietnam for AOZ (3-amino-2-oxazole) after recent tests revealed high levels of the antibiotic residue. 

 

Japan permits an AOZ threshold of 1 ppb (parts per billion).

 

Since September of last year, Japanese authorities have also been testing all Vietnamese shrimp for chloramphenicol and cuttlefish for antibiotics.

 

Vietnam's fisheries and trade ministries have instructed authorised agencies and seafood exporters/processors to tighten control over seafood quality to avoid problems.

 

But the situation is yet to improve.

 

Last December, Vietnam's National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved) has apologised to Japanese importers for antibiotic residue in shrimp to Japan, noting the causes of the contamination.

 

The contamination, according to Nafiqaved, was because Vietnamese enterprises failed to check raw materials for antibiotic and other prohibited chemicals before processing.

 

The agency also cited fingerlings and fries were bought from farmers in remote areas where there was no efficient inspection on the use of the chemicals.

 

Some workers at the processing plants had used skin cream which contained chloramphenicol, said Nafiqaved.

 

The quality agency also assured the Japanese it was strictly implementing analysis and supervision measures to improve seafood quality.

 

In the last two months of 2006, the Vietnamese fisheries industry suffered a major fall in exports to Japan because of a recurrence of antibiotic residues.

 

Japan has long been one of Vietnam's major seafood customers, buying 27 percent of its fisheries exports last year, second only to the US.