Fish sauce producers refute arsenic claims

                                                                 Photo: Duc Anh

Fish sauce associations send petition to PM following media reports about excessive arsenic levels in their products.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and traditional fish sauce associations have sent an official petition to Prime Minister and the Ministries of Health (MoH), Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Industry and Trade, and Public Security regarding the country’s fish sauce production after recent negative media reports.

Mr. Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of VASEP, said that his association and the Fish Sauce Associations of Phu Quoc, Phan Thiet-Binh Thuan, and Nha Trang, the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Foodstuff Association, and fish sauce companies in the north have discussed losses in the industry and agreed on measures to protect and develop the industry.

The associations sent the petition the Prime Minister following inaccurate reports from the Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinastas).

Vinastas announced on October 17 that a survey it conducted nationally found that most fish sauce has arsenic contents exceeding permitted levels. Mr. Vuong Ngoc Tuan, Deputy General Secretary of Vinastas, confirmed that in 150 samples of 88 fish sauce brands tested, the arsenic content in 101 samples was higher than the permitted 1 mg/liter, with some having as much as 5 mg/liter.

The associations said that the announcement has created a misunderstanding about arsenic. Arsenic is divided into organic (not harmful) and inorganic (harmful) forms. The organic form found in seafood is not harmful. The testing is not suitable with international standards on arsenic content in food and also MoH’s standards on arsenic content in fish sauce, according to the petition.

Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan described the reports as a “media incident”. Firstly, the information from Vinastas is unclear and does not explain that arsenic comes in organic and inorganic forms.

Vinastas underlined that “fish sauce with higher protein content tend to have more arsenic,” Minister Tuan told local media on October 21, which hints that traditional fish sauce can be harmful is it contains higher protein content than industrial fish sauce.

According to the associations, the traditional fish sauce industry has suffered because of the Vinastas report, which has confused many consumers. A number of supermarkets and shops are now refusing to sell the products and this will affect the industry and the seafood industry as a whole.

The associations have proposed the Prime Minister conduct an investigation and assessment on the damage caused to traditional fish sauce production by the Vinastas report and identify measures to address the situation.

The petition also includes a public announcement to the media that organic arsenic in fish sauce in not harmful to human health and calls for new standards to be adopted. The matter is being investigated by relevant agencies.

by Nghi Do / vneconomictimes