July 6, 2007

Russia will conduct checks on Vietnam seafood processors
 

Russia's Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Services (VPSS) will conduct checks on seafood processors, aquaculture farms, fishing ports and fish markets in Vietnam starting Jul 7, 2007, to verify the safety of Vietnamese seafood exports.

Following its previous inspection in April, VPSS has issued directives stating only seafood businesses that received the agency's food safety and hygiene certificates would be allowed to export their products to Russia.

Russia's stricter guidelines have raised concerns among Vietnamese seafood processors that shipments to the world's largest country might tumble.

Since April, Russia has blacklisted Vietnamese seafood on the grounds of food safety standard violations.

In response, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) has called on domestic seafood processors to restructure their operations to increase sales to Russia.