The US Department of Agriculture has recognized Vietnam’s food safety control system on catfish as equivalent to American regulations after three years of Vietnam having been engaged in fine-tuning food safety law and enforcement.

Catfish are processed for export at Go Dang Company in Tien Giang province.
(Photo: VNA) 

The announcement was made by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien at a press conference on November 4.

The Siluriformes Fish Inspection System under the US Farm Bill 2014, which came into effect in September, 2017, must demonstrate that Vietnam’s   food safety control system on catfish, mainly tra fish, is equivalent to that of the US in three criteria in order to continue its exports to the US.

The criteria include meeting legal terms in quality control and food hygiene, law enforcement, and the guaranteeing of food safety and hygiene along the production chain from breeding, farming, transportation, processing, and export.

Siluriformes fish include tra, basa, tre and lang fish.

According to Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Director of the Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department, the recognition is a momentous step for Vietnam’s sustainable development in the tra fish sector.

It helps to boost Vietnam’s exports of tra fish to the US, and other markets as well. The recognition illustrates Vietnam’s ability in quality control and food safety assurance, meeting the most demanding international conditions.

With this recognition, Vietnam can gain trust from US importers and will increase the number of exporters of tra fish to the US from the current number of 13.