First Vietnamese Catfish Producer Approved under US Inspection Program

QDV Food Company has become the first catfish processor in Vietnam admitted into the Seafood Inspection Program as administered by the National Marine Fisheries (NMFS), United States Department of Commerce (USDC), after successfully passing an audit Inspection conducted in June 2007 at its factory in Sa Dec district, Dong Thap province.

 

Under the USDC Seafood Inspection Program, the NMFS conducts regular audits to verify that the processor continuously meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations governing HACCP (21 CFR 123) and Quality Management Procedures (QMP).

 

The selection enables QVD to certify that its products are produced in a USDC approved facility.

 

“This is another step taken to assure that we deliver the safest and highest quality tra and basa catfish products to the U.S. market,” said Bui Duc Quy, director of QVD Food Co.

 

“Our quality control processes have now been approved by the USDC,” he stressed, adding that all catfish products under the QVD trademarks of Basa Vina, Basa Vina Gold, Basa Vina Supreme and Basa Vina Pearl also underwent thorough examinations under the Seafood Inspection Program taken by NMFS.

 

QVD Food Co. is the only catfish producer on the approved International USDC plant inspections list. This list can be viewed at www.seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov.

 

QVD is also the only Vietnamese producer and importer which delivers “Duty Paid” Pangasius Hypophthalmus products to customers throughout the U.S. from an approved USDC facility. According to VASEP statistics, Pangasius Hypophthalmus (SWAI/ Striped Pangasius) represent approximately 99 per cent of total Pangasius production in Vietnam.

 

So far this year QVD has exported close to US$9 million in catfish products to the world’s largest market and is now looking to increase capital in order to build upon its US distribution network, Duy said. (Vietnam & World Economy, http://www.itpc.hochiminhcity.gov.vn)