The final report of the EU’s inspectors on assessing chemical residue control in farmed seafood in Viet Nam, which lasted from 19 to 29 October 2009, has been officially released by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), and Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG-SANCO).
The report said Viet Nam’s legal framework, capacity of competent agencies and laboratories involving in the programme on controlling chemical residue and food safety assurance in seafood companies permitted to export to EU basically satisfy EU’s requirements. Besides, Viet Nam’s programme on inspecting toxic chemical residue in farmed seafood is working effectively and meeting EU’s requirements.
Also FVO cautioned Viet Nam to enhance monitor over veterinary medicines distribution and usage in agents and farms, tighten punishments for unit abuses banned chemical and antibiotics, at the same time, it is necessary to add abuse-prone chemicals to the Chemical Residue Control Programme.
NAFIQAD has requested seafood companies allowed to export to EU to add control of risks concerning toxic chemical residues to HACCP Plan based on warnings of competent agencies.
According to statistics of Vietnam Customs, in Q1/2010, EU remained the largest destination of Vietnamese seafood, importing 75,220MT of seafood, valued at more than US$221.638 million, an increase of 7.6 percent in volume and 8.9 percent in value compared with the same period last year, accounting for 24.8 percent of Viet Nam’s total seafood export value.
Germany and Spain were two EU members that ranked among the five largest importers of Vietnamese seafood, behind Japan, the U.S. and South Korea.