(foodnavigator.com) The European Commission has approved plans to harmonise the use of food flavours in the European food industry with a list of permitted flavouring substances.

(foodnavigator-asia.com) China this week launched a registration system to record the variety and origin of imported food. The measure comes as part of the government’s bid to establish a tracking system for food imports to improve safety.

(seafood.com) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is having difficulty implementing expansive new rules to improve food safety, nearly two years after President Barack Obama signed the standards into law, because of a lack of funding.

(SeafoodSource) The University of Nottingham has added Marine Stewardship Council certification to its accolades, allowing it to serve MSC certified sustainable fish to over 32,000 students. The University follows Nottingham’s city and district primary schools which became MSC certified in July 2011.

(fis.com) An expert suggesting people wash hairy crabs with a sodium bicarbonate solution to avoid pesticide residues has sparked a heated discussion online concerning food safety, with the best season for crabs just around the corner.

(vasep.com.vn) All facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food products intended for consumption in the U.S. are required to register and renew their registrations every 2 years with FDA under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The first biennial registration renewal period was scheduled from October 1 to December 31, 2012.

(vasep.com.vn) Quality certification programs are increasingly popular in seafood export and trade promotion in the international market. Therefore, many Vietnam seafood processors and exporters, especially those in pangasius industry, have been actively investing in fish farming area and processing facilities to meet international quality and food safety requirements.

(TheFishSite) thanksProjects helping the UK fishing industry and others in the supply chain to comply with traceability regulations could be subsidised by the EU.

(foodnavigator-asia.com) Independent sustainability certification is rapidly becoming a must for Asian seafood producers and suppliers if they are to remain competitive in the West, according to agency.

(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam shrimp exports to Japan reached US$60 million per month, representing nearly 30 percent of total shrimp exports nationwide.

(foodnavigator.com) Indonesia’s premier food processing authority has come out strongly against a controversial plan that would make halal certification a must for the country’s entire food and beverage supply chain.

(IntraFish) The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) program is shifting its focus to mussels after developing certification standards for facilities that raise shrimp, salmon, tilapia, pangasius and channel catfish, according to a GAA report.

(The Saigon Times Daily) Inspection teams of the European Union and the United States are in Vietnam to supervise the quality of agro-aquatic products of local companies with their shipments bound for these two markets.

(Vietnamnet) On August 31, Japanese competent agencies ordered to examine 100 percent of the consignments of shrimp products imported from Vietnam. The Ethoxyquin content must not be higher than 0.01 ppm, while the products which cannot satisfy the strict requirement must be refused.

(vasep.com.vn) All facilities that are required to register must renew their registrations during the period beginning on October 1 and ending on December 31 of each even-numbered year. The first registration renewal cycle will be held from October 1 to December 31, 2012. Registration continues to be free and can be done by the companies themselves.