The regulatory scheme and performance of Vietnamese agencies in charge
of ensuring the quality and safety of seafood at all administrative
levels nationwide are in compliance with European Commission standards.
It
was said by the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance
Department (NAFIQAD), which cited the findings of a group of EU
inspectors who visited the Vietnamese agencies last year.
The
department, however, admitted that the European inspectors found
shortcomings related to hygienic conditions at pre-processing
facilities, including finding boats, ports and fisheries.
NAFIQAD
has asked provincial department of agriculture and rural development to
continue working to boost awareness of food safety regulations among
the owners of fishing fleets, the managers of fishing ports, the
operators of fish-breeding facilities, and purchasing agents.
Agricultural quality assurance branches need to intensify their
inspections of hygienic conditions at these pre-processing facilities,
the department said.
It also asked businesses that process
seafood for export to use materials verified by municipal and
provincial agricultural quality assurance branches.-VNA