International Training Courses 2014 - Third Round in Viet Nam:
SHRIMP - PANGASIUS SENSORY EVALUATION
Sensory evaluation is one of the compulsory procedures at import inspection stations of many importing countries; especially in the United States, inspectors of the Food Administration and Drug (US FDA) directly take samples and inspect imported seafood product consignments. According to statistics of the US FDA and imported seafood warning channels, reasons related to sensory evaluations for which seafood shipments were rejected or seafood enterprises were put on warning lists usually have been accounted the highest rate, in which the most reasons were filth and decomposition..
According to sensory evaluation experts, enterprises can fully identify and eliminate defects related to sensory at the enterprises through implementation of a preliminary sensory evaluation during whole process from raw material reception to step before shipment. This significantly helps enterprises eliminate/reduce substandard products to avoid consequences related to economic damage or reputation damage of the enterprises.
With importance of seafood product sensory evaluation knowledge and skills for export enterprise staff, the VASEP Training and Trade Promotion Center (VASEP.PRO) under of Vietnam Association of Seafood Entrepreneurs (VASEP) intend to conduct two training courses in sensory evaluation for the two main export seafood subjects including shrimp and pangasius with the teaching and practice guidance of Mr. James Barnett, a leading sensory expert of the United States and a former senior official of the U.S. FDA:
I. Time and Venue:
- 24-25 Nov, 2014: Fresh/Frozen Shrimp Sensory.
- 27 Nov, 2014: Pangasius Species: US FDA and Import Concerns.
In Cuu Long Hotel (***) 52 Quang Trung Str., Ninh Kieu Dist., Can Tho City, Viet Nam
II. Training course contents
1. Regulations and standards of the US FDA on acceptable and rejectable levels in sensory evaluation as well as food safety hazards.
2. Tools and techniques of sensory and quality assessment practices of:
- Prawn, including fresh and cooked shrimp and frozen shrimp of 2 main export species of Vietnam: black tiger shrimp and vannamei shrimp.
- Pangasius
3. Sensory evaluation practice on shrimp and pangasius samples.
III. Participants
1. QA/QC, Sensory evaluators, technicians in seafood processing enterprises.
2. Quality control staff, researchers and analyzers at institutes, universities and governmental authorities related to seafood quality.
3. Interested individual, raw material collectors, middlemen.
IV. Expert: MR. JAMES BARNETT
James Barnett with over 33 years experience working for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food and seafood sensory analyst and then as FDA’s National/International Seafood Sensory Expert, He brings to the table valuable sensory knowledge.
Further details please contact us:
Programme Officer: Ms Ngoc Dzung, Tel: +84.43.8354496 – Ext 223; Mobile: +84 988-428-828, Email: ngocdung@vasep.com.vn
Programme Officer: Ms Hien Nguyen, Tel: +84.43.8354496 – Ext 210; Mobile: +84 906-076-587, Email: thuhien@vasep.com.vn
Sensory Evaluation 2014. Can Tho Viet Nam
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Nearly US$1.7 billion is the projected gap in 2029 between the baseline scenario and a scenario in which Vietnam’s seafood exports grow by 10% annually, according to calculations by VASEP to be presented at Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026. This gap raises a key question for the entire industry: Which markets, products and supply chain improvements will generate the additional growth?
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Although Germany’s tuna imports have declined, Vietnam’s tuna exports to the market continue to show positive signs. Notably, export value recovered strongly in Q3/2026, and German import data also show Vietnamese products strengthening their position amid competition among suppliers.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
VASEP - HIỆP HỘI CHẾ BIẾN VÀ XUẤT KHẨU THỦY SẢN VIỆT NAM
Chịu trách nhiệm: Ông Nguyễn Hoài Nam - Phó Tổng thư ký Hiệp hội
Đơn vị vận hành trang tin điện tử: Trung tâm VASEP.PRO
Trưởng Ban Biên tập: Bà Phùng Thị Kim Thu
Giấy phép hoạt động Trang thông tin điện tử tổng hợp số 138/GP-TTĐT, ngày 01/10/2013 của Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 – (ext.203); email: kimthu@vasep.com.vn
Trụ sở: Số 7 đường Nguyễn Quý Cảnh, Phường An Phú, Quận 2, Tp.Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: (+84) 28.628.10430 - Fax: (+84) 28.628.10437 - Email: vasephcm@vasep.com.vn
VPĐD: số 10, Nguyễn Công Hoan, Ngọc Khánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Tel: (+84 24) 3.7715055 - Fax: (+84 24) 37715084 - Email: vasephn@vasep.com.vn