HCMC – Vietnam’s export of dragon fruit to the UK continues without disruption as Vietnamese authorities have not received an indication of food safety violations from the UK side, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Addressing rumors about certain UK supermarkets halting the sale of dragon fruits imported from Vietnam, the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, clarified that, for the first half of the year, they had not received any warnings from UK authorities regarding food hygiene concerns about Vietnam’s exported dragon fruits.
Earlier, the UK authorities had proposed shifting Vietnamese dragon fruits from Appendix II to I, which would necessitate further certification and an actual inspection of 50% of the shipment at ports of arrival before the products could go into the market.
In July, SPS Vietnam also received a proposal from the UK’s Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development via an official communication, suggesting intensified inspections to ensure the exported dragon fruits comply with food safety regulations.
Responding on August 2, SPS Vietnam wrote to the SPS UK, suggesting that the inspection frequency for Vietnamese dragon fruits remain unchanged until both parties have substantial evidence to support any change.
In their communication, Vietnamese authorities requested the UK side to provide a risk assessment file that would serve as the foundation for altering the inspection frequency for Vietnamese dragon fruit.
According to SPS Vietnam, between 2020 and July 2023, Vietnam exported 625 tons of dragon fruit to the UK and 2,000 tons to the European Union market.
Source: The SaigonTimes