Seafood Exporters to Japan Asked to Register in Advance
Vietnamese enterprises are required to register with the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (NAFIQAVED) before shipping seafood products to Japan, according to the Ministry of Fisheries (MoF).
The move is aimed to control the quality and food hygiene standards of seafood products exported to Japan, which annually imports US$500-600 million worth of shrimp from Vietnam.
The ministry also ordered the inspection of 100 per cent of seafood consignments exported by 11 domestic seafood firms whose products were found by Japanese authorities to contain antibiotic residues exceeding the allowed level.
In a recent letter to Japanese Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare on December 6, Fisheries Minister Ta Quang Ngoc assured him of Vietnam’s measures to control quality, food hygiene and safety of seafood exports.
The letter was sent following the recent discovery of seafood exports, including cuttlefish and shrimp, from Vietnam to Japan containing banned antibiotic and chemical products.
To enhance control, the ministry asked provincial and city authorities to cooperate with the directorate and conduct inspections during every stage of production to prevent the use of banned chemical products, he said.
In his letter, Ngoc promised to ban the use of chemicals in seafood exports to Japan in order to ensure food safety and hygiene.
According to the MoF, seafood exports to Japan account for 35 per cent of the total seafood export revenue earned by Vietnam.
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