gfsf vietnam newsletter 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The developed markets are increasingly tightening regulations on imported food. Typically, the United States' Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has recently issued guidance on implementing quality control of food products imported into the United States in a more rigorous manner.
Last November, the Trans-Pacic Partnership (TPP) was ofcially signed, which will expand the market for the member countries, including Vietnam. This Agreement creates more opportunities but also challenges Vietnam businesses in the agricultural sector when competing with enterprises from more advanced countries on the global playing eld.
As quoted from Vneconomy for the rst nine months of 2015, 165 shipment plots of Vietnam's export aquatic products were found violating food safety regulations, 78 out of which were found violating the provisions of antibiotics. According to Report by Veterinary Agencies at the Borders, another main reason for agricultural and sheries exports being returned is due to incorrect packaging specication or false information labelling.
Such facts emphasize the increasing importance of understanding food safety regulations, and adjusting process in compliance with updated requirements. Realizing that, CSC Vietnam JSC has cooperated with Global Food Safety Forum (GFSF) to establish the GFSF Vietnam. We expect GFSF Vietnam to be a
connecting link among Vietnamese enterprises, government agencies and international organizations, jointly offering a solution to food safety problems, and building a reliable business environment.
CSC Vietnam and GFSF desire to create a level playing eld for Vietnamese agricutltural enterprises in order to improve food quality, safety and hygiene in Vietnam as well as boost food exports effectively.
Wish you a new year of 2016 lled with peace, happiness & prosperity
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy
Newsletter 2015
GLOBAL FOOD SAFETY FORUM
Vietnam
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My - Chairperson/CEO, CSC Vietnam (center)& Dr. Richard Gilmore - Chairman, GFSF (rst from right to left)
Vietnam
CSC Vietnam JSC
A: Level 16, ICON4 Tower, 243A De La Thanh St., Hanoi
P: (+84 4) 3736 8188
W: www.cscvietnam.com
Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy
Executive Director, GFSF/Vietnam
Ms. Dinh Thuy Hang
Coordinator, GFSF/Vietnam
U.S
GIC Group
A: 1434 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314�
P: +1 (703) 684-1366
W: www.gicgroup.com
Ms. Anne Sansbury
Administrator, GFSF
Contact
U . S - T h e F o o d a n d D r u g
Administration (FDA) has come to
terms with new rules for food
safety, which will apply to produce
farms and importable goods. This
measure was taken amid all the
outbreaks of food-related illnesses
that have been occurring across
the U.S in recent years.
The new set of rules goes by the
Food Safety Modernization Act,
w h i c h m a k e s i m p o r t e r s
responsible for meeting U.S food
safety standards and settles the
requirements for the production of
goods. The guidelines are meant,
as Taylor pointed out, to prevent
food-borne illnesses. Additionally,
the guidel ines st ipulate the
intervention of third parties who are
to review foreign food facilities.
As it is a preventive measure, the
FDA stated that these rules will
help prevent an issue before it
ac tua l ly happens. The new
regulation system prioritizes that
companies adopt current good
manufacturing practices (CGMPs)
a n d e s t a b l i s h p r e v e n t i v e
measures, rather than retiring
products from the market after
n d i n g o u t t h e p r o d u c t i s
damaging.
To help food industries with the
imp lementa t ion o f the new
preventive standards, the FDA
c r e a t e d t h e F o o d S a f e t y
Preventive Controls Alliance, a
partnership between different
institutions, such as state and
federal agencies, industries and
universities. (Source: International
Business Times, 2015)
FDA set stricter rules for food import
2 FEATURE NEWS
Source: International Business Times, 2015
Hanoi - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
announced during a recent meeting in Hanoi that it plans to work with
relevant agencies to examine and ensure food safety, which it
identied as an urgent task.
Minister Cao Duc Phat said it was necessary to inform farmers of the
health impacts associated with using banned substances and
antibiotics, as well as the damage caused to farmers and enterprises,
he said. He urged localities to form safe food supply chains in big
cities like Hanoi and HCM City.
To tackle the issue of food safety violations, Phat said inspectors
should strictly handle any breaches of safety standards. A list of
production units that use banned substances will be publicised, he
said, adding that emphasis will be placed on the safety of meat and
vegetable products.
Food safety inspections in the rst nine months of the year showed
that the percentage of pesticide residue found in vegetables and
fruits was 10.3 per cent, compared to between 6 and 8 per cent
annually. Of the meat samples, 7.6 per cent surpassed allowable
levels in terms of antibiotic and substance residues, according to the
MARD. (Source: Vietnamnews, 2015)
Food safety goals outlined
Which advantages do you think
CSC Vietnam has to develop
GFSF Vietnam?
GFSF, headquartered in the U.S.,
is a non-prot food safety
organization, with over 400
m e m b e r s i n c l u d i n g
organizations/companies in the
agriculture and aquatic all over the
wor ld . Dr. R ick G i lmore –
Chairman of GFSF, has served as
an advisor to White House/USAID
in various capacities, and a
trustee of international companies
and regulatory agencies in the U.S
and Canada. He was once a
Rockefeller Fellow and on the
Foundation Advisory Board,
C a r n e g i e E n d o w m e n t F o r
International Peace, etc.
GFSF has chosen CSC Vietnam
to be a strategic partner for its
act iv i t ies in Vietnam. CSC
V ie tnam i s an i nves tmen t
company, with agriculture as one
key focus. We are one major
shareholder of The PAN Group,
together with other international
nancial institutions including IFC
(Worldbank), GIC (Singapore),
SSI, TAEL Partners, NDH Invest,
Mutual Fund Elite, etc. which
share the vision of globally
s u s t a i n a b l e a g r i c u l t u r e
deve lopmen t . As the BOD
member of the PAN Group,
holding top agro rms in Vietnam
i n c l u d i n g N a t i o n a l S e e d
C o r p o r a t i o n , B i b i c a , B e n
TreAquatex, Lafooco, I believe
CSC Vietnam will be an ideal
connection for GFSF in Vietnam.
How do you and CSC Vietnam
expect this cooperation to bring
benets for agro & food
companies in Vietnam?
GFSF is a private-public platform
which will serve to work closely
with food, seafood and agricultural
companies and the public sector
in Vietnam to advance food safety
in Vietnam and raise standards
and practices of Vietnamese
companies to enhance export
value to meet the requirements of
such developed markets as the
U.S, Japan, Europe. Thereby, we
can increase export value,
mitigate risks arising from trade
disputes due to the quality and
food safety of product exports.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra MyChairperson/CEO, CSC Vietnam
3 EXPERT INTERVIEWS
Given the recent changes in
agricultural and aquatic
import polices by the U.S
government, what impacts do
you assess are on companies
in general and Vietnamese
companies in specic who are
exporting to the U.S?
T h e U . S F o o d a n d D r u g
Administration (FDA) is the lead
regulatory agency for food and
seafood imports to the U.S. As
such, their revised rules under
the Foreign Supplier Verication
Program are, in my estimation,
designed to integrate U.S food
safety standards into all phases
of the global supply chain for
imported product to the U.S.
These rules require verication
through documented testing and
s a m p l i n g r e s u l t s a n d
documentation of a foreign
supplier's relevant food safety
records.
For Vietnamese companies to
comply with U.S standards and
provide the requisite back-up
documentation, they will need to
introduce tighter phyto-sanitary
integrated systems in their
o p e r a t i o n s . I n o r d e r t o
document that the imported
p roduc t con fo rms to U .S
standards and that the supplier
is in good standing, Vietnamese
companies, like other foreign
suppliers, will need access to
new food safety technologies
offering cost-effective testing
and verication systems as well
as software management and
record-keeping systems.
Dr. Rick GilmoreChairman, GFSF
In some respects, suppliers are
likely to object to the initial capital
ou t l ay f o r t he necessa ry
upgrades but the pay-back will
be worth it due to resulting lower
frequency cargo rejections and
recalls which are prohibitively
e x p e n s i v e f o r s u p p l i e r s .
Vietnamese companies seeking
premium prices in the U.S market
already have come to appreciate
the value of compliance with
FSMA (the U.S Food Safety
Modernization Act).
With greater compliance to meet
foreign regulatory standards, I
should think Vietnamese food
and seafood suppliers will also
be offering higher quality, safer
f o o d f o r t h e V i e t n a m e s e
consumer. call that a win-win
scenario!
What are key factors you think
i n a g r i c u l t u r a l i m p o r t
c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h U . S
companies?
When selling to U.S importers,
Vietnamese suppliers will have
to satisfy the new regulations or
be liable and face possible law
suits. Importers offer only limited
protection to suppliers since the
new regulations ultimately trace
problems back to the origin and
then determine the respective
responsible parties for any
violations of FSMA. The new
regulations may actually serve to
enhance oppor tuni t ies for
V i e t n a m e s e s u p p l i e r s t o
undertake new direct sale
strategies into the U.S as well as
other foreign markets.
Compliance with FSMA from the
point of origin to delivery is the key
critical factor for any foreign
supplier to the U.S market. With
the advent of the Trans Pacic
Partnership Agreement, the
expectation is that there will be
g r e a t e r a n d i m p r o v e d
opportunit ies for enhanced
c o o p e r a t i o n a t b o t h t h e
commercial and policy levels.
Could you share the GFSF
activities in food safety and
companies support?
GFSF is a non-prot industry
organization. It offers a platform
for industry and the public sector
to collaborate to minimize risks
a n d d e v e l o p a r e l i a b l e ,
transparent food safety regulatory
and commercial environment. We
at GFSF have a singularly
pragmatic approach: identify the
problem; develop solutions in
consultation with all parties
involved; and work to ensure
that the solutions are put into
effect in the shortest time
p o s s i b l e . T h i s f o r m u l a
requires an awareness of
g l o b a l f o o d s a f e t y
requirements so we at GFSF
are offering e-courses with the
University of Maryland and the
World Bank for our members
at discounted prices. When it
comes to risk mitigation, we
are working with insurance
and re-insurance companies
to offer new products for food
safety liability and recall
contamination. We also strive
to provide opportunities for the
development of strategic
a l l i a n c e s b e t w e e n
V i e t n a m e s e a n d U . S
compan ies th rough ou r
events, delegation visits, and
expert technical assistance.
Dr. Rick Gilmore – Chairman, GFSF
4 EXPERT INTERVIEWS