From January 15, to be exported to Russia, consignments of seafood must have certificates on meeting requirements of food hygiene in a form provided by Russia’s Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS). The products must be processed by the establishments that are recognised by Vietnam as meeting the requirements on food hygiene.

Deputy Minister of Fisheries Nguyen Thi Hong Minh has released dispatch No 117, requesting seafood exporters to export the consignments of seafood that are processed in the recognised workshops.

In addition, the enterprises must follow the strict procedures on packing and encoding inspected consignments of seafood as required by the National Fisheries Quality and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved). This agency will assist the enterprises that have products exported to Russia in upgrading their workshops and equipment, and applying the quality control programme in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point), in order to export products that can meet the requirements set by Russia.

Prior to that, on October 16, 2006, Russia’s VPSS issued a document stating the form of the certificate on food hygiene, and the procedures on inspecting Vietnam-sourced seafood entering Russia.

Recently, VPSS Head Sergei Dankvert stated that the agency would inspect all seafood processing workshops in Vietnam which make tra and basa products for export to Russia. Only the workshops that pass the inspection and meet the requirements on food hygiene can export their products to Russia.

In the meantime, VPSS will also examine seafood processing workshops in Iceland, Denmark and the Netherlands who is also large exporter of seafood products into Russian market.

The inspection delegation will arrive in Iceland on January 17. Their plan to visit and have a working session in Vietnam will be announced this week.