Japan Scrutinizes Vietnamese Shrimp for Chemical Residue
Vietnamese enterprises have found it hard to bring shrimp products into Japanese market as the Japanese authorities have begun testing all shrimp imported from Vietnam for AOZ (3-amino-2-oxazole) after recent tests revealed high levels of the antibiotic residue.
Since last September it has also been testing all Vietnamese shrimp for chloramphenicol, and cuttlefish for antibiotics since August.
Vietnam’s fisheries and trade ministries have instructed authorized agencies and seafood exporters and processors to tighten control over seafood quality to avoid problems.
Last December Vietnam’s National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate sent a letter of apology to Japanese importers for antibiotic residue in shrimp consignments to Japan, also reporting the causes of contamination.
First, some Vietnamese enterprises failed to check raw materials for antibiotic and other prohibited chemicals before processing.
Second, the creatures were bought from farmers in remote areas, where there wasn’t sufficient checks on the use of the chemicals.
Finally, some workers at the processing plants had used skin cream which contained chloramphenicol.
The quality agency also assured the Japanese it was toughening its analysis and supervision measures to improve quality.
In the last two months of 2006 the Vietnamese fisheries industry suffered a major fall in exports to Japan because of a recurrence of antibiotic residues.
Japan has long been one of Vietnam’s major seafood customers, buying 27 per cent of its fisheries exports last year, second only to the US. (Vietnam & World Economy, Liberated Saigon)
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