August 3, 2010

Vietnam temporarily halts offal imports

A decree was recently issued by the prime minister of Vietnam declaring a temporary ban on all imports of red meat offal and poultry offal.

The ban was ostensibly put in place to prevent entry of imported offal products that may not be safe for consumption. With no specific guidance or details, however, it is difficult to say whether this action targets any particular products or problem areas, according to the USDA.

Meetings on this matter have been held this week between US and Vietnamese officials, and USDA continues to seek more specific information. However, no decision has been made on whether to amend the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Export Library or take any other official action.

The US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) urges exporters to use extreme caution when shipping any product to Vietnam that could fall under a broad definition of "offal," until more information becomes available.