March 12, 2007

Japan warns four more Vietnam seafood exporters over antibiotics
 

The Japanese Health, Labour and Social Welfare Ministry said that it again discovered chloramphenicol in its recent batches of shrimp and seafood from four Vietnamese exporters.

According to Ho Quoc Luc, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), the companies were Viet Phuong Co, Ltd, Huy Nam Co, Ltd., and Agrex Saigon Import Export Company of HCM City and Quang Nam Joint Stock Company from the central province of Quang Nam.

VASEP's Shrimp Committee has proposed the Ministry of Fisheries to tighten its control over the use of banned antibiotics in seafood export.

VASEP again warned Vietnamese seafood exporters of the losing of the Japanese market if they continue to violate the standards on antibiotic residues.

Exports to Japan account for 35 percent of the annual total seafood export turnover of Vietnam. Japanese shrimp imports are valued US$500 million to US$600 million annually from Vietnam.