Australia has denied the import of several seafood products from Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and other countries in the first two months of 2018.
According to data from Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, the shipments were rejected due to the threat they presented to public health, though the department did not provide the specific issues found or the volumes of the products in question.
Vietnam had the most rejected shipments between January and February, with eight noncompliant cases detected – mostly cooked prawns. Vietnam was followed by Sri Lanka with seven cases, the data showed. Indonesia, Chile, and a number of other countries also had their products identified by Australian authorities as risky to human health in the first two months.
Vietnam’s leading shrimp producer, Minh Phu Hau Giang Seafood Corp., and another Vietnamese firm, Seavina Joint Stock Company, both had two noncompliant cases detected in the first two months of this year.
Inspectors from Australia visited Vietnam from 26 February to 2 March to explore how diseases on farmed shrimp are controlled before shipment. The inspectors had positive comments on Vietnam’s shrimp industry after the working trip, Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said on 14 March.
Shipments that fail inspections under Australia’s Imported Food Inspection Scheme are rejected for sale inside the country. They must be destroyed by the importer or re-exported to the country of origin under the Australian department’s supervision. All future consignments from the noncompliant company are then inspected until a history of compliance is established.
