Malaysian seafood products clear for export to EU

Malaysian frozen seafood products have been cleared for export to the EU, said the country's Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The EU's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) has approved frozen seafood products from five Malaysian companies and four farms after a visit which ended on Thursday (Mar 12).

The decision comes some 10 months after the government suspended exports of seafood products to the EU, which had threatened a total ban after random checks on nine Malaysian companies exporting fishery products revealed poor health standards and practices.

Liow said the approval process would normally take six weeks, but his ministry would expedite the process.

It is learnt that the nine companies accounted for about MYR100 million (US$27.2 million) worth of exports to the EU annually.

The whole frozen seafood industry to the EU, comprising some 15 exporters, is believed to be worth about MYR600 million (US$163.3 million) annually.