Vietnam; Antibiotics--Japan to Inspect All Shrimp Imports from Vietnam

[Nicaonline]

 

On September 22, 2006, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced that four batches of shrimp from Vietnam (tested on September 18, 2006) contained residues of chloramphenicol or nitrofurans. At the time, Japan tested 50 percent of the shrimp from Vietnam. Now, it has decided to test 100 percent! If it continues to find antibiotics, it might ban all shrimp imports from Vietnam!

Japan is Vietnam's biggest customer for shrimp, and some Vietnamese exporters don't think the Vietnamese government is doing enough to respond to the problem. Vietnam's National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (NAFIQAVED) has suggested that it inspect all shrimp destined for Japan. That proposal, however, faces strong opposition from businesses like Seaprimexco, which in August and September 2006 spent roughly $187,000 on certificates from the Directorate--only to discover that two of its shipments that carried Directorate certificates were rejected because they contained antibiotics.

Sources: 1. Thanhniennews.com. Japan increases quality tests on Vietnamese shrimp (http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=20408). Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien (translated by Ha Viet). September 23, 2006. 2. Seafood.com (an online, subscription-based, fisheries news service). Japan moves to 100% inspection of Vietnamese shrimp as exporters criticize government. Editor and Publisher, John Sackton (phone 781-861-1441, email jsackton@seafood.com). November 3, 2006.

http://www.shrimpnews.com/FreeNews.html

[Nicaonline]

 Source: Thanh Nien News  World News    28/11/2006 15:43:36
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Fisheries Minister Ta Quang Ngoc is asking the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s permission to ban the import and circulation of antibiotics and chemicals containing internationally prohibited antibiotics.

 

In a document sent Nov. 24, the Ministry of Fisheries suggested the Prime Minister guide relevant ministries and sectors like the ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry, and Public Health, and the customs service to strictly ban and control the imports of such antibiotics and chemicals.

 

The antibiotics are currently prohibited from using in aquaculture under the regulations by Japan and many other foreign markets.



The Fisheries Ministry also requested the Prime Minister hand out strict penalties to those responsible for the trade of the banned chemicals and antibiotics.

Source or related URL: http://www.thanhniennews.com
 

[Nicaonline]

Source: Vietnam Economic Times  World News    15/12/2006 16:59:21

 



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There are three reasons why the seafood products exported to Japan contain anti-biotic residues, according to the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved).


 
Head of Nafiqaved Nguyen Tu Cuong has sent a notice to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, saying that Vietnamese relevant authorities had discovered the reasons for the impure seafood.

 

The main problem lies in the seafood itself. Several Vietnamese seafood processors have not been examining materials thoroughly before processing. In other cases, processors collect materials from aquaculture establishments in remote areas, where the control over the use of antibiotics and prohibited chemicals is not strict. In addition, the fact that processing workers use hand cream which contains chloramphenicol also accounts for the presence of this antibiotic substance in the exported products.

 

Also among the documents sent to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the head of Nafiqaved offered an apology to Japanese authorities and Japanese consumers, and announced the drastic measures that Vietnam was taking to ensure the quality and hygiene of the exported products.

 

The Japanese side has several times announced that it had discovered prohibited substances in cuttlefish and shrimp products imported from Vietnam. Japanese authorities have ordered the inspection of 100% of consignments of seafood from Vietnam. In addition, they have also threatened to entirely ban imports of cuttlefish and shrimp from Vietnam.
 
 

 Source or related URL: http://www.vneconomy.com.vn
 

[Nicaonline]

Source: VietnamNet Bridge  World News    14/12/2006 19:04:33

Ha Yen

The Ministry of Trade of Vietnam has received a formal notice from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare saying that Japan had once again discovered antibiotic residues in cuttlefish and shrimp exports from Vietnam.

 


 

The five entities Japan identifies in the missive are Hoang Cam (109A Ho Ngoc Lam, Binh Tan District, Hanoi), Hai Thuan (block 13-14 Phan Thiet fishing port, Binh Thuan Province), Workshop NO 16 under the Quy Nhon Seafood Processing Company (No 4 Phan Chu Trinh, Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province), Nam Mai (18/10 Tran Quang Dieu, district 3, HCM City) and Minh Hieu (Highway 1A, Bac Lieu Province).

 

Though Vietnam has implemented strict measures to make sure that seafood products exported to Japan do not contain antibiotic residues, there has been no improvement in the quality of exported products. The Ministry of Trade has warned that if seafood companies do not stop exporting bad quality products, it is likely that Japan will ban shrimp and cuttlefish imports from Vietnam. If that were the case, Vietnam would lose a very important market.

 

Most recently, the Ministry of Fisheries has asked seafood companies that export to Japan to register with Nafiqaved (the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (NAFIQAVED).

 

As for the 11 seafood companies which have been discovered as having exported consignments of products with antibiotic residues, authorities will examine 100% of their exports to Japan.

 

Nafiqaved has also announced that it will hold training courses on chemical control for shrimp hatchery ponds, establishments specialising in collecting shrimp and workers at processing workshops. Nafiqaved will also reassert control over all phases of seafood production, from farming to preserving and processing.

Source or related URL: http://english.vietnamnet.vn

 

[Nicaonline]

After raising the inspection rate on Vietnam's shrimp to 50 percent and then 100 percent, Japan continued to receive shrimp with antibiotic residues. Now, it has threatened to ban all shrimp imports from Vietnam.

Source: VietnamNetBridge. Vietnamese shrimp exporters may lose Japanese market (http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2006/12/640440/). Phuoc Ha. December 4, 2006.

[Nicaonline]

Antibiotics

On December 12, 2006, Truong Dinh Hoe, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP) said Vietnam should stop exporting shrimp to Japan until it can ensure that its products are free of antibiotics.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Fisheries is testing all seafood exports to exclude those with antibiotic residues.

Under Ministry of Fisheries regulations, shrimp exporters must register their products at the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (NFQAVD) for quality tests.

The Ministry of Fisheries has also proposed that the Customs Department halt exports without NFQAVD labels.

Japan has traditionally been one of Vietnam's major seafood customers, accounting for 26.8 percent of its exports, second only to the USA.

Source: Thanhniennews.com. Vietnam toughens measures to improve Japanese shrimp exports (http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=23167). Nguoi Lao Dong (Translated by Tuong Nhi). December 13, 2006.

[Nicaonline]

Vietnam's National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate has sent a letter to the Japanese Food and Drug Administration Bureau apologizing for shipping shrimp to Japan with antibiotic residues.

The letter cited three causes for the residues:

Some Vietnamese processors did not check for antibiotics.

Some shrimp was purchased from farms in remote areas where the control of chemicals was not enforced.

Some processing plant workers put a barrier cream on their hands that contains chloramphenicol.

Source: Thanhniennews.com. Vietnam apologizes for contaminated shrimp exports to Japan (http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=23222). Tuoi Tre, SGGP (Translated by Tuong Nhi). December 14, 2006.

[Nicaonline]

Thursday, December 28, 2006

VIET NAM - Collecting, preserving, processing and trading seafood materials and products that contain toxins harmful to human health may result in fines from VND15-20mil ($1,250) reports Ha Yen on VietNamNet Bridge.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed Decree 154 stipulating the punishments for violations in aquaculture and seafood processing in an effort to fight the injection of impurities into seafood material.

Under the decree, people that deliberately carry seafood with strange substances will be fined VND3mil. Those who inject impurities in seafood materials will be fined from VND3-5mil. Any activities of collecting, preserving, processing and trading seafood containing impurities and strange substances will result in fines up to VND15mil.

The heaviest fine level of VND20mil will be applied to those involved in activities of collecting, preserving, processing and trading seafood that contains toxins harmful to human health. Consignments of products that are discovered as not meeting the requirements on food hygiene will be seized by competent agencies.

State management agencies may strip the right of a company to use the certificate on meeting requirements on food hygiene for 6-12 months.
http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/3320/viet-nam-clamps-down-on-toxins-in-seafood
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