[Industry news] Vietnam Issues Stricter Traceability and Food Safety Rules for Pangasius Exports

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The Government has issued a decree on aquaculture management, and tra (or basa) fish products processing and export, the Government Office reported this week.

According to the decree, which will be effective on July 1, 2017, activities involving the farming of commercial tra fish must meet four conditions.

First, individuals and organizations rearing tra fish must have their location and area in compliance with land use plans of the provincial People’s Committee.

Second, they must have infrastructure that meets technical conditions for farming commercial tra fish such as water supply systems that are separate from waste water systems and a waste treatment area that meets conditions on protecting the environment and veterinary hygiene.

Third, aquaculture facilities must meet regulations on food safety and have certificate on identification number for ponds farming tra fish according to existing regulations.

Finally, the decree also has regulations on commercial tra fish processing conditions. The individuals and organizations farming tra fish must satisfy conditions of investment and business, according to the July 1, 2016 decree.

Companies must implement regulations and technical standards on food safety for seafood processing and have a certificate of eligibility for food safety granted by relevant State offices.

They must have a traceability system meeting regulations and ensuring the ability of traceability at the facilities.

Tra fish products that are exported must be processed at tra fish processing facilities meeting all the conditions mentioned above.

If individuals and organizations exporting tra fish products do not have processing facility as per the requirement, they must have contracts on purchasing tra fish products from facilities meeting those conditions or contracts on processing the products from eligible facilities.

Decree 55/2017/NĐ-CP has specific regulations on registering identification number for ponds farming tra fish and regulations on quality and food safety for commercial tra fish products.

It also stipulates that the responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Finance to implement this decree, supervise the implementation of this decree and solve commercial disputes related with tra fish export products.

The people’s committees of central-level provinces and cities have been given directions on implementing this decree in their provinces and cities and have land use plans for farming tra fish and reports on farming, processing and exporting of tra fish.