HCM City (VNA) – Regulations on food sample inspections during customsclearance, food safety and hygiene standards have been discussed at a meeting inHCM City between representatives of Japanese firms and Vietnamese officials.

At the March 15 meeting, organised by the Japan External Trade Organisation(Jetro), business representatives said a Vietnamese Government decree on foodsafety stipulated that food samples imported into Vietnam for developmentresearch purposes were exempted from safety inspections.

However,some transport services in Vietnam require Japanese companies to check the foodsafety of food samples weighing over five kilograms, said Nakagawa Motohisa,speaking for the Japanese firms.

Thiswasted cost and time of Japanese businesses, while impeding Vietnam’s researchand development activities, he added.

LeVan Giang, Deputy Director of the Department of Food Hygiene and Safety under theMinistry of Health, agreed that food samples for testing and research areexempted from food safety testing.

Vietnamcurrently does not have any specific regulations on the volume of food samplesexempted from inspection.

Arepresentative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that in order toimport food samples, enterprises must commit to use them for the stated purposeand take responsibility under Vietnamese law for any misuse. Businesses thatexperience wrong regulations should report to Vietnamese authorities forguidance and solutions, he added.

TheJapanese side also expressed its hope that Vietnam would exempt processed foodoriginating from Japanese plants from quarantine.

Accordingto Japanese businesses, their quality of raw materials for food production isstrictly controlled. In addition, pre-packaged processing and heat treatmenttechnology ensure that food products made from plants is not a source ofinfestation or harmful pest spread.

Inresponse to the problem, Le Son Ha from the Department of Plant Protectionunder the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that forhigh-tech and packaged foodstuffs, Vietnam has eliminated quarantinerequirements.

Butfor processed foods that are not packed, the potential for insects and termitesto grow during storage was possible, therefore, Vietnam still applied checks,said Ha.

TakimotoKoji, Jetro chief representative in HCM City, praised the cooperation andsupport of ministries and related agencies in Vietnam towards the difficultiesencountered by Japanese enterprises.

Theexchange of information with Vietnamese regulators will help Japanese firmsbetter understand preferential mechanisms and policies for foreign businessesin general, and Japanese enterprises in particular, he said.-VNA