VASEP rejects allegation on Vietnam shrimp quality

News 08:57 09/11/2012 Kim Thu
(vasep.com.vn) The article “Asian Seafood Raised on Pig Feces Approved for U.S. Consumers” may mislead shrimp customers about Vietnam shrimp industry

In October 11th 2012, Bloomberg BusinessWeek – a prestigious business magazine in the world – published  “Asian Seafood Raised on Pig Feces Approved for U.S. Consumers” article (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-11/asian-seafood-raised-on-pig-feces-approved-for-u-dot-s-dot-consumers ) written by Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen (uyen1@bloomberg.net) and William Bi (wbi@bloomberg.net). By describing shrimp processing of a small exporting and trading enterprise which no longer exports shrimp products to the U.S, the article painted a far worse picture on the quality of Vietnam shrimp exported to the U.S. The viewpoint of the article may mislead shrimp customers about Vietnam shrimp industry.

After reading the article, on behalf of Vietnam seafood enterprise community and Vietnam shrimp industry, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) sent a letter to the article’s writers and asked them to deny the content of the article. Besides, VASEP also provided the writers of Bloomberg with exact and unbiased information on current conditions of Vietnam shrimp producing, processing, exporting and the improving quality of shrimp products originated from Vietnam.

Shrimp is an export item fetching the highest earnings for Vietnam seafood industry. Vietnam shrimp is shipped to almost 90 countries and territories with annual export turnover of US$2 billion. Majority of shrimp processing plants in Vietnam comply with international standards and create hundreds of thousands of jobs and stable income for local people.

The U.S. is the second largest importer of Vietnam shrimp after Japan with annual export value to the market of over US$500 million, occupying nearly one-quarter of total shrimp exports nationwide. Vietnam shrimp facilities are inspected twice a year and well-evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Shrimp facilities of Vietnam are certified as safe by international certification organizations and abide by the strict measures of food safety control from material purchasing to processing, preserving and exporting. Thanks to ensuring food safety and premium quality compared to shrimp products of other origins, Vietnam shrimp exported to the U.S. reported continuous growth for the past many years.

Only by visiting a small company, the writers of the article concluded that Vietnam shrimp, a large amount of which is exported to the U.S, is dirty and contaminated with bacteria. This viewpoint on Vietnam shrimp industry is so biased and mistaken. The article may satisfy the U.S domestic shrimpers and the U.S. government in protecting its shrimp sector and curb shrimp importing in the wake of the U.S. financial crisis. However, the action is against the spirit of free trade and fairness.

Vietnam shrimp maybe is badly affected by the article and the U.S. market may limit importing shrimp from Vietnam, shrimp enterprises in Vietnam will retain our positive image and ceaselessly improve shrimp quality to keep exporting to other markets.

In October 11th 2012, Ubcomtell.com posted video (Bloomberg hit piece on imported seafood misses huge improvements made in China, Vietnam) denying the article’s information. In the video, John Sackton, editor and publisher of Seafood.com News said that the article only mentions to the facts of a small company and cannot reflect comprehensively seafood quality of Vietnam. In fact, the quality of Vietnam seafood exported to the U.S. has improved remarkably. According to Safety Alerts on food imported to the U.S. by FDA, seafood consignments exported to the U.S. from Vietnam and China were rejected to approve for customs clearance reduced by 57 percent compared to the same period of last year while total rejections to the U.S. only reduced 11 percent.

John Sackton said that the article may make American consumers misunderstand about the quality of imported shrimp. The viewpoint of the article supports for domestic shrimp producers in the U.S. because their profit has been affected by imported shrimp. He stressed that data on seafood consignments of Vietnam and China rejected by FDA proved that the Vietnam seafood quality is being improved remarkably. 

Bạn đang đọc bài viết VASEP rejects allegation on Vietnam shrimp quality tại chuyên mục News của Hiệp hội VASEP

TIN MỚI CẬP NHẬT

Vietfish 2026 – A Hub for Innovation, Connectivity, and Sustainable Growth in Vietnam’s Seafood Industry

 |  11:50 07/08/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.

Seafood exports stay above US$1.1 billion in July: Growth momentum likely to slow as US tariffs begin to “filter through” to orders

 |  17:09 06/08/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.

Vietfish 2026 Seminar: Global seafood market trends and the future workforce

 |  11:38 05/08/2026

(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.

Creating momentum for double-digit growth

 |  08:45 30/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.

In the first six months of the year, Ha Tinh province earned over 1.2 trillion VND from seafood exploitation

 |  14:55 28/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.

Tuna exports in the first half of 2026: One month of strong growth is not enough to ease mounting pressure

 |  08:35 26/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.

Vietfish 2026 Domestic B2B Program: connecting supply and demand to bring high-quality Vietnamese seafood closer to local consumers

 |  15:24 24/07/2026

(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.

Vietfish 2026 Cooking Show: Telling the story of Vietnamese seafood through culinary experiences

 |  15:15 24/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.

Vietnam's pangasius exports reach USD 1.1 billion in the first half of 2026

 |  08:16 23/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.

Strengthen control over fishing vessels and trace the origin of harvested seafood.

 |  09:34 21/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.

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

© Copyright 2020 - Mọi hình thức sao chép phải được sự chấp thuận bằng văn bản của VASEP

DANH MỤC