Given the current outbreak of African swine fever, a viral disease affecting only pigs, traceability should be further developed to increase quality and address issues of food safety, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) said in its Whitebook 2019.

A pig farm in the southern province of Dong Nai. Any risks due to the lack of visibility and market regulation may lead to shortages if external events affect global production, as with the outbreak of African swine fever

The path to a safe and sustainable food production and supply sector is challenging, as the recent pig crisis and exposure to imports of raw materials has shown. Therefore, EuroCham stressed, restructuring is particularly important.

Fluctuations increase the difficulty of restructuring the sector, as farmers and producers are not able to take any risks due to the lack of visibility and market regulation. These factors may lead to shortages if external events affect global production.

For instance, the outbreak of African swine fever was reported to have affected 20 localities, with the latest being the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, as of today, March 20, according to Lao Dong newspaper.

Currently, there is no mandatory traceability system in place, even though the Food Safety Law prescribes one. However, some local “voluntary” traceability systems for eggs and vegetables have been set up in HCMC in recent times, according to EuroCham.

This is a good first step, but in the chamber’s view, the Vietnamese Government should start introducing mandatory systems. It could begin with the introduction of a mandatory animal registration system, as the lack of such a system is currently causing a twofold risk for food safety.

Firstly, when a serious disease breaks out – one that can be transmitted from animals to humans – it is not possible to trace the disease back to its origin.

Not being able to accurately identify the source of an infection makes effectively eradicating the disease difficult, if not impossible. This reduces confidence both in the sector and in Vietnam, causing a drop in prices and irrevocable damage to the prestige of both.

Secondly, not having an identification system in place increases the likelihood of serious food safety issues occurring.

For example, when a problem such as the illegal use of hormones or antibiotics is detected, it is often impossible to identify and prosecute the offender because the source of the product is unknown. This lack of accountability makes it more likely that offences will occur, since perpetrators know that the chances of being caught are very low.

EuroCham also noted that an identification and recording system containing a traceability component would change this and be a useful tool in prosecuting offenders. At the same time, it would improve the food safety reputation of Vietnam.

This system would allow each animal product to be traced back to the farm where it originated, the places it stayed both during its lifetime and after and the companies responsible for its transport.

Monitoring animal movements will allow the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), through the Department of Animal Health, to better protect against trade-limiting diseases such as foot and mouth disease.

EuroCham warned that these diseases currently restrict the ability to develop official health protocols with China and cost farmers millions of dollars in losses every year.

The Department of Livestock Production of MARD and the Ministry of Industry and Trade require improved monitoring systems to better protect against and regulate the unofficial import of livestock and products from other countries and to improve market access and competitiveness in foreign markets.

EuroCham stressed that increased food safety would lead to more export opportunities for Vietnam to the European Union and other markets.

SGT