May 25, 2009
Vietnam seafood companies suspended for food safety violations
Vietnamese authorities have suspended the operation of two seafood export companies for violating food safety rules, according to a government official on Friday (May 22).
National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Department (NAFIQAD) director Nguyen Nhu Tiep said surprise inspections at Dai Tay Duong Seafood Processing Factory and Tien Giang Seafood Company had revealed numerous problems.
The most serious was an inadequate boiler at Dai Tay Duong's factory that failed to cook some seafood products fully.
Local news media reported on Friday (May 22) that NAFIQAD's inspection of Tien Giang had found that the company could not show documents specifying the origins of some seafood products.
NAFIQAD also found inadequate refrigeration practices in the company, and said it would temporarily halt export licenses for the two companies.
Dai Tay Duong and Tien Giang are among the biggest seafood exporters in Vietnam, with Dai Tay Duong having a daily capacity of 200 tonnes of raw seafood, while Tien Giang exports more than 5,000 tonnes of finished products each year.
Vietnam has strengthened its inspections of food products in recent years after several high-profile cases of inadequate food hygiene.
