Egypt proves Vietnam catfish imports safe

Tested samples have proved that Vietnamese basa catfish is 100 percent safe, said the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Amin Abaza on Wednesday (Apr 1).

Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Hatim Al Zabali said that 87 out of 95 samples taken from 95 consignments of Vietnamese basa fish met health and safety standards and only eight were found to be infected with harmful bacteria.

The samples had been collected by his ministry's research centre over the past three months.

Youssef Mamdouh, head of the Egyptian Veterinary Quarantine Agency, said that Egypt has imported 265 consignments of basa catfish - a total of 29,000 tonnes - since January, but only nine have been returned for failing to meet quality standards.

Mamdouh considered this normal as it can occur to any other frozen products such as beef and chicken.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Embassy in Vietnam on March 31 officially resumed granting customs clearance to Vietnamese seafood exports after a five-day suspension.