- The number of tra, <strong>basa</strong> catfish process<strong>in</strong>g establishments is about 120 (updated tothe beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of 2009); all of them meet <strong>food</strong> <strong>hygiene</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>safety</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>saccord<strong>in</strong>g to Vietnamese requirements; many of them meet strict requirements ofimport<strong>in</strong>g countries such as the EU, the US,…- All fishery process<strong>in</strong>g establishments have been tra<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> applied quality <strong>and</strong><strong>safety</strong> management program based <strong>on</strong> HACCP. The results of annual <strong>in</strong>specti<strong>on</strong>s(by the EU <strong>and</strong> the US) showed that HACCP plans of the establishments wereappropriate <strong>and</strong> effective.- The c<strong>on</strong>signments <strong>in</strong>tended for export to the EU, the US <strong>and</strong> Canada must be testedat the laboratories of <strong>in</strong>ternati<strong>on</strong>al st<strong>and</strong>ard (ISO 17025) before be<strong>in</strong>g dispatched.- Vietnamese tra, <strong>basa</strong> catfish have been exported to over 128 countries / territories,<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g difficult markets as the EU, Russia, the US, Australia, Canada…which arealso the major c<strong>on</strong>sumers of Vietnamese tra, <strong>basa</strong> fish.II. Food <strong>hygiene</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>safety</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trol <strong>in</strong> tra, <strong>basa</strong> catfish producti<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> Vietnam1. Organizati<strong>on</strong>al system1.1. Central competent authorityVietnamese Competent Authority <strong>in</strong> charge of <strong>food</strong> <strong>hygiene</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>safety</strong> of fisheryproducts is the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department(NAFIQAD) under the M<strong>in</strong>istry of Agriculture <strong>and</strong> Rural Development, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g:- NAFIQAD Headquarters <strong>in</strong> Hanoi,- 02 Regi<strong>on</strong>al Agencies <strong>in</strong> Nha Trang <strong>and</strong> Hochim<strong>in</strong>h City;- 06 NAFIQAD Branches hav<strong>in</strong>g 06 laboratories which are sufficiently equippedto test for <strong>food</strong> criteria <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g micro-biological, chemical <strong>and</strong> antibioticresidues, c<strong>on</strong>tam<strong>in</strong>ants...).Total staffs: 384 (updated to 31 st January 2009). Professi<strong>on</strong>al officials have everbeen tra<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>on</strong> <strong>food</strong> <strong>safety</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trol <strong>in</strong> Vietnam <strong>and</strong> foreign countries such as theNetherl<strong>and</strong>s, France, USA, Canada, Korea…).1.2. Prov<strong>in</strong>cial competent authorities:Prov<strong>in</strong>cial competent authorities have 789 officials <strong>in</strong> total (until 31 st January2009). Annually, prov<strong>in</strong>cial competent authorities send their professi<strong>on</strong>al officials totra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g courses <strong>on</strong> fishery quality <strong>and</strong> <strong>safety</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trol organized by NAFIQAD.1.3. Research <strong>in</strong>stitutes assist<strong>in</strong>g state management <strong>in</strong> <strong>food</strong> <strong>safety</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trol:M<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g Centers for Aquaculture envir<strong>on</strong>ment <strong>and</strong> Epidemic (under Institutes ofAquaculture Research No. 1, 2 <strong>and</strong> 3) are available.2. Envir<strong>on</strong>ment m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g results <strong>in</strong> Tra <strong>and</strong> Basa farm<strong>in</strong>gDur<strong>in</strong>g the recent years, <strong>in</strong> order to develop susta<strong>in</strong>able tra <strong>and</strong> <strong>basa</strong> farm<strong>in</strong>g, theM<strong>in</strong>istry of Agriculture <strong>and</strong> Rural Development has carried out surveys <strong>and</strong> plann<strong>in</strong>g offarm<strong>in</strong>g areas <strong>in</strong> accordance with Sector St<strong>and</strong>ards <strong>on</strong> Tra <strong>and</strong> Basa farm<strong>in</strong>g (No.:28TCN 192:2004) to ensure <strong>food</strong> <strong>safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> friendly envir<strong>on</strong>ment.Vietnamese Competent Authorities regularly c<strong>on</strong>duct envir<strong>on</strong>ment <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong><strong>safety</strong> surveillance <strong>in</strong> aquaculture areas:2
- S<strong>in</strong>ce 2004, M<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g Centers for Aquaculture envir<strong>on</strong>ment <strong>and</strong> Epidemicunder Research Institutes for Aquaculture have developed the programs ofaquaculture envir<strong>on</strong>ment m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> surveillance <strong>in</strong> Mek<strong>on</strong>g Delta Z<strong>on</strong>ewith frequency of 4 times a year <strong>in</strong> its upper, middle <strong>and</strong> lower reaches. Thesurveillance results show that water quality <strong>in</strong>dex (pH, turbidity, sal<strong>in</strong>ity, DO,H 2 S, Nitrit,…) range <strong>in</strong> the permitted level <strong>and</strong> meet the water st<strong>and</strong>ards forfresh water fish.- The sanitati<strong>on</strong> m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g program for bivalve mollusk producti<strong>on</strong> areas hasbeen implemented s<strong>in</strong>ce 1999. The microbiological test<strong>in</strong>g results (E. Coli,Coliform…) <strong>in</strong> bivalve mollusk producti<strong>on</strong> areas <strong>in</strong> lower Mek<strong>on</strong>g show thatthese producti<strong>on</strong> areas are graded at class B <strong>and</strong> authorized to harvest bivalvemollusks to be processed for export to the EU, the US, New Zeal<strong>and</strong>…(harvest<strong>in</strong>g notes <strong>and</strong> m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g results are regularly uploaded <strong>on</strong> website:www.nafiqad.gov.vn). This dem<strong>on</strong>strates that water <strong>in</strong> Mek<strong>on</strong>g River has not yetbeen c<strong>on</strong>tam<strong>in</strong>ated with microorganism.- The residues m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g program for certa<strong>in</strong> harmful substances <strong>in</strong> aquaculturefish <strong>and</strong> products thereof has been implemented s<strong>in</strong>ce 1999 <strong>and</strong> the results of theprogram show that residues of c<strong>on</strong>tam<strong>in</strong>ants (heavy metals, pesticides…) arenot-detected or detected at the levels lower than the MRLs <strong>in</strong> tra, <strong>basa</strong> catfishflesh (Notificati<strong>on</strong>s of m<strong>on</strong>thly <strong>and</strong> annually m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g results are uploaded <strong>on</strong>website: www.nafiqad.gov.vn).The above m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g programs show that Mek<strong>on</strong>g River has not been microbiologicallynor physicochemically polluted, it is appropriate for aquaculture <strong>and</strong> fishcultured <strong>in</strong> Mek<strong>on</strong>g bas<strong>in</strong> comprehensively meet the <strong>food</strong> <strong>hygiene</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>safety</strong>requirements.3. Hygiene <strong>and</strong> <strong>safety</strong> c<strong>on</strong>trol of tra, <strong>basa</strong> producti<strong>on</strong>3.1. C<strong>on</strong>trol results at aquaculture <strong>and</strong> post-harvest<strong>in</strong>g stages- Local competent authorities <strong>in</strong> prov<strong>in</strong>ces <strong>and</strong> cities regularly <strong>in</strong>spect <strong>and</strong>m<strong>on</strong>itor the use of chemicals, antibiotics <strong>and</strong> <strong>hygiene</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>in</strong> Tra <strong>and</strong> Basa farms.The farms applied susta<strong>in</strong>able aquaculture models accord<strong>in</strong>g to GAP, CoC are <strong>in</strong>spected<strong>and</strong> certified <strong>in</strong> c<strong>on</strong>formity with Decisi<strong>on</strong> No. 56/2008/QDD-BNN dated 29 April 2008of M<strong>in</strong>istry of Agriculture <strong>and</strong> Rural Development.- To prevent from <strong>and</strong> verify the abuse of antibiotics, chemicals <strong>and</strong> harmfulsubstances <strong>in</strong> aquaculture, particularly <strong>in</strong> Tra <strong>and</strong> Basa farm<strong>in</strong>g, NAFIQAD has beenimplement<strong>in</strong>g the m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g Program for certa<strong>in</strong> harmful substances <strong>and</strong> residuesthereof <strong>in</strong> aquaculture animals s<strong>in</strong>ce 1999. The results of the program show thatresidues of c<strong>on</strong>tam<strong>in</strong>ants (heavy metals, pesticides…) are not-detected or detected at thelevels lower than the MRLs <strong>in</strong> Tra <strong>and</strong> Basa catfish flesh (Notificati<strong>on</strong>s of m<strong>on</strong>thly <strong>and</strong>annually m<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g results are uploaded <strong>on</strong> website: www.nafiqad.gov.vn). ThisProgram has been <strong>in</strong>spected <strong>and</strong> recognized by competent authorities of the EU, the US,Canada about the organizati<strong>on</strong>al system, legislati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> practical c<strong>on</strong>trol activities.- In additi<strong>on</strong>, NAFIQAD has also carried out the Post-Harvest Sanitati<strong>on</strong>M<strong>on</strong>itor<strong>in</strong>g Program <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g carry<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>in</strong>specti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>hygiene</strong> c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s at primaryproducti<strong>on</strong> units (fish<strong>in</strong>g vessels, fish<strong>in</strong>g ports/l<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g sites, middlemen…); sampl<strong>in</strong>gof post-harvested fishery products (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Tra <strong>and</strong> Basa) for test<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> verify<strong>in</strong>g3