Viet Nam will inspect a sample from every batch of tra fish exported to the US to check them for food safety, according to a new ministerial decision.

Tra fish being processed before export to the US. Viet Nam will inspect a sample from every batch of tra fish exported to the US to check food safety, according to a new ministerial decision.

The inspection conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) from April 17 to August 31, will be applied to tra fish processors and exporters who have been allowed to ship the fish to the US.

Only those batches receiving the certification of food safety from MARD will be allowed to be exported to the US.

The ministry said it would stop inspection and certification of batches from the companies who have received a warning for unqualified quality and food safety from the authorised bodies in the US.

The suspension of certification will last until the firms determine the reason for the warning, and find solutions to address the problems. The process will be examined by the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department.

It has been reported that all catfish will be subject to the scrutiny of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from September 1, including pangasius (tra fish). USDA inspectors will check on all stages of the production chain in Viet Nam.

The catfish regulations under the USDA are considered more stringent, challenging Viet Nam’s struggling pangasius industry, which supplies about 90 per cent of the pangasius sold in the US.

According to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, from now until early September, the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) will still be responsible for checking the criteria on food safety for the import of fish. 

VNS