Italy acknowledges Vietnamese catfish are safe

Rome (VNA)- The Italian food safety authority has officially recognised that
Vietnamese catfish products meet with food hygiene and safety standards and can be
imported to the European market.

This was confirmed in a letter sent on April 21 by Romano Marabelli, Head of the
Department of Veterinary, Nutrition and Food Safety, to the Vietnamese Deputy
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Le Phuong.

Marabelli emphasised that Italy and the European Union in general have placed
no restrictions on Vietnamese Tra and Basa catfish imports.

He also stated in a recent written reply to a hearing in the Italian Parliament,
that the Italian Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies had tested
Vietnam 's catfish and the laboratory results had proved that the products had
tested negative to all toxic substances.

The senior official emphasised that all aquatic products and seafood imported from
Vietnam had fully met quality standards and were safe for human consumption.

The recognition from the Italian food hygiene and safety authorities was in
response to the Italian media's claims that Vietnamese catfish products were
contaminated. Many believe that this was an attempt to reduce the Vietnamese
catfish imports to the EU market.

The Vietnamese embassy's Trade Attache, Tran Thanh Hai, said however that the
allegations and accusations by the Italian media were still influencing the
Italian public and the Italian Government has so far done nothing to quell these
fears.

"The situation demands that domestic agencies act immediately to change the
public's impression of Tra and Basa catfish products," said the Vietnamese
trade representative.

"The process does not just take time but also needs a concerted effort from the
authorities at home and representative offices across Italy ," he
concluded.--Enditem