March 16, 2012

US, EU, Russia to inspect Vietnam's seafood firms

Vietnam will be expecting soon delegations from the US, EU and Russia to conduct food safety and hygiene inspections at local seafood processing facilities, which have been exporting seafood products to these markets.

The delegations will be from the US Drug and Food Administration (DFA), EU's Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO) and the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Physio-sanitary Surveillance (VPSS).

They will check chemical residues in Vietnam's seafood products as well as inspect the production procedures of local seafood processing facilities and aquaculture farms, said the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

They will review aquatic and seafood processing management, use of chemicals in the industry as well as residues of chemicals and antibiotics in seafood products, said NAFIQAD's Head Nguyen Nhu Tiep.

They will also inspect the firms' application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), adjust the capacity of Vietnamese laboratories and inspection of state agencies, Tiep added.

The inspections from the US and EU are the periodical works while the Russian delegation will come following a warning that a number of Vietnamese seafood batches imported in that country had been detected to contain bacteria and high residues of antibiotics.

Seafood is one of export stable for Vietnam, bringing revenues of US$6.3 billion for the country last year. The US, EU and Russia are among the main importers of Vietnamese seafood.