U.S. detects banned substances in Vietnamese seafood exports

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The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has sent a letter to Vietnam’s Department of Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance, saying it had discovered banned substances in catfish shipped from Tan Thanh Loi Limited Liability Company and Nam Song Hau Joint Stock Company.

The FSIS asked the Vietnamese department to send a report about the origins of the banned substances as well as remedial measures suggested by the two companies within a month.

The FSIS added that it will to take samples of fish from the two companies until the case is resolved and the samples meet regulations.

The European Union has also announced that it will stop importing seafood products from Vietnamese companies if it detects banned substances.

On May 13, the European Commission sent a note to the department about Vietnam’s overuse of antibiotics in seafood exports. On May 24, the EU sent a warning to its members, asking them to strictly monitor seafood exports from Vietnam.