Illustrative photo (Photo: vietnamnet.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Sanitary andPhytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (Vietnam SPS Office) hasnot received any warning from the UK about dragon fruit exported from Vietnam that it violates food safety regulations, said deputy director of the agency Ngo XuanNam.
Nam said that Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports to the UK remainnormal although some supermarkets in the country suspended the sale of thefruit amid concerns that the imported fruit may contain pesticide residues.
So far, the Vietnam SPS Office received only a notice from UKauthorities on a proposal about moving Vietnamese dragon fruits from AppendixII (for products subject to being tested and granted a food safety certificatein exporting countries before being exported) to Appendix I (for products thatmust be verified and re-inspected at a 50% frequency at destinationports before being imported).
“It’s just a proposal now,” Nam said.
The suspension of thefruit sale in some supermarkets can be part of their business plan and possiblynot link to the authorities’ inspection plan, Nam said.
On July 17, the office received an officialdispatch from the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Developmentregarding the UK's plan to strengthen safety inspections for dragon fruit.
On July 26, the Plant Protection Department under theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent an official dispatchresponding to the proposal to amend regulations related to food safetyinspection of Vietnamese dragon fruit in the UK.
On August 2, the Vietnam SPS Office contacted the UK SPS, suggesting it keep the frequency of testing Vietnam's dragonfruit until the two sides have sufficient evidence.
The Vietnamese side called on the UK side to provideVietnamese competent authorities with risk assessment records which they baseon to propose the testing frequency changes for Vietnamese dragon fruit.
Currently, the Vietnam SPS Office is waiting for a responsefrom the UK authorities.
According to the office, from 2020 to July 2023, Vietnamexported 625 tonnes of dragon fruit to the UK while exporting to the EU marketabout 2,000 tonnes yearly./.
