Vietnam farm raised seafood face recalls over food safety

August 30, 2016 | 11:00
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Shortly after the EU detected excess levels of antibiotics in shipments of farmed seafood from Vietnam, the government acknowledged that some of the country’s aquaculture exports may be unfit for human consumption.
vietnam farm raised seafood face recalls over food safety hinh 0

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Mard) issued a stern warning to the aquaculture industry, that flagrant disregard of the nation’s food safety laws and regulations will not be tolerated.

Specifically, the Ministry revoked the export permits for Can Tho Export-Import Seafood JSC, Southern Fishery Industries Co. Ltd and Khang Thong JSC on the grounds exports to the EU contained excessive levels of banned substances that have been determined to be harmful to people’s health.

The Ministry rescinded the aforementioned companies permits pending a full inspection by the National Agriculture-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department to evaluate the full extent of the food safety violations they have committed.

Presumably this investigation could lead to a full recall of domestic products sold by these companies from supermarket and retail shelves nationwide, if the farmed seafood is determined to be a serious health threat.

In the future, the Ministry announced it will revoke export permits for any companies that have shipments refused by the EU and will only reinstate those permits after a thorough investigation has been conducted.

Meanwhile a US seafood company has recently issued a recall of 25,760 pounds of frozen fish fillets from Vietnam that were distributed without first meeting food safety requirements.

The US Department of Agriculture said California-based US Cado Holdings Inc. is recalling a batch of skinless, boneless Swai fish fillets, also known as Vietnamese catfish, that was produced and packaged earlier this year in Vietnam.

The Sea Queen-branded fish were shipped to grocer Aldi's distribution centres in Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

USDA said the product entered the US market without first passing required residue sampling and testing. The agency said there have been no reports of adverse reactions from consuming the fish.

In a statement regarding the recall of the 25,760 pounds of frozen fish fillets from Vietnam, a member of the US Congress, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) urged congressmen not to pass the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Rep DeLauro said the US Congress should standing up to foreign companies that do not have any regard for the health and safety of Americans, such as those in the Vietnam aquaculture industry.

Nguyen Ngo Vi Tam, CEO of Vinh Hoan Joint Stock Company, one of the leading catfish exporters in Vietnam has acknowledged the tarnished reputation of Vietnam aquaculture around the globe, which he politely describes as quite negative.

VOV

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