September 9, 2010

New seafood regulations trouble Vietnamese exporters

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has issued new seafood regulations on food hygiene and safety that are posing difficulties for many seafood businesses.

Effective from September 1, the new legislations are Circular 25/2010, which rules food hygiene and safety control for imported foods of animal origin, and Circular 06/2010, which specifies regulations on quarantine for seafood and related by-products. Seafood products from South Korea, China and Canada will be inspected first.

"Vietnamese exporters for many years have to follow technical requirements of international importers. So, we have to apply the same standards to protect local consumers and ensure quality of meat products on the market," said MARD Deputy Minister Luong Le Phuong, Sai Gon Times reports.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) met in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday, when numerous seafood exporters claimed they would not be able to fulfill international orders due to deficient supplies of imported materials necessary for the production of seafood.

According to Circular 25, seafood materials must be quarantined at their point of departure before they can be imported. Further, if certificates of food hygiene and safety are unavailable, seafood materials are not allowed to enter Vietnam.

However, many importers said it is complicated to obtain these certificates as seafood materials are often purchased from ships that do not come from the products' countries of origin. Most companies have thus had trouble obtaining what they need to process seafood destined for export.

Furthermore, numerous countries that sell seafood materials to Vietnam lack the agencies that would issue the necessary certificates, such that importers simply cannot obtain them, according to reports.

Referring to Circular 06, several seafood firms also complained that the amalgamation of animals like pork and chicken with marine animal products is unreasonable.

But MARD thinks the new standards will pay off. Phuong noted that assessing the seafood exporting enterprises will help the nation reduce risks in re-exporting the products to choosy markets such as Japan, Europe and North America.

Meanwhile, VASEP vice chairman Phan Thanh Chien said the continued enforcement of Circular 25 will cause domestic exporters to lose competitive advantage to rivals in several countries, such as China and Thailand.