Vietnam’s minister of agriculture and rural development has launched an investigation into Chinese apples and ordered tighter import controls after reports of decay-resistant Chinese apples sold on the domestic market sparked public concern, reveals Vietnamnet.
Cao Duc Phat told the publication that the Food Hygiene Agency had conducted tests on samples of Chinese apples that stayed fresh for months, but the results had not yet been announced.
He conceded that consumers had every reason to worry about chemicals used to preserve apples, since many Chinese products, including children’s toys, clothes and fruits have been found containing toxic substances.Phat said he had instructed agencies to test the apples and take serious measures to tighten control over fruit imports.
Yet Vietnamese consumers do not trust government agencies to take the necessary measures to prevent toxic products from being sold on the domestic market, Vietnamnet said.
The paper added that while Vietnam has loosened control over 'toxic and low-quality' imports from China, it has toughened its requirements for imports from other sources, including Europe: French apples and beef, for instance, still have not been granted access to Vietnam.
But Hoang Trung, deputy head of the Plant Protection Agency, told Vietnamnet that all export countries must follow the necessary procedures to gain access to the Vietnamese market.
Exporters need to prove that their products are safe and free from disease to be able to get the “go-ahead” licence, he said.
“We treat products from other countries the same way they treat our products,” Trung said.
