Plant Protection Department denies South Korea bans chili imports from Vietnam

Speaking to Thanh Nien on the morning of June 28, Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, said that the Plant Protection Department has not received any notice from Korean authorities about temporarily suspending or stopping the import of chili products from Vietnam as information spread on social networks in recent days.

Cục Bảo vệ thực vật bác tin Hàn Quốc cấm nhập khẩu ớt từ Việt Nam - Ảnh 1. — The Plant Protection Department denies information spreading on social media about South Korea banning the import of Vietnamese chili peppers.

This information comes from the recent incident in which the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety discovered that a batch of dried chili peppers imported from Vietnam contained pesticide residues and had to be recalled.

Specifically, on June 27, the Vietnam National Sanitation and Plant Quarantine Information and Inquiry Office (Vietnam SPS) sent Official Dispatch No. 133/SPS-BNNVN to the Plant Protection Department stating the notice of the Korean Ministry of Food Safety and Drug Administration regarding Vietnamese dried red chili products violating food safety regulations.

Specifically, the batch of Long Thanh Company Limited produced in 2022 had tricyclazone residue levels in dried red chili samples ranging from 0.02 - 0.04 mg/kg, exceeding the Korean allowable level of 0.01 mg/kg.

Korean authorities have decided to recall dried red chili pepper products distributed by three companies from Long Thanh Company Limited, including: Geosan Trading Company Limited, Seoul; Bokine Agriculture Company Limited, Daejeon; Yangil Agriculture Company Limited, Seoul.

After verification, the Plant Protection Department determined that Long Thanh Company Limited registered its business at the Ngo Quyen Street Industrial Park (Cam Thuong Ward, Hai Duong City, Hai Duong Province). After that, the Plant Protection Department sent a notice to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hai Duong Province, the Plant Quarantine Departments and related enterprises requesting further inspection and clarification of the cause.

"We are asking businesses and localities to check to clarify the cause and develop remedial measures. On that basis, the Plant Protection Department will coordinate with the Korean food safety management agency to negotiate and remove obstacles for exporting businesses according to international practices," said Mr. Dat.

Mr. Dat also affirmed that the incident involving Long Thanh Company Limited is an isolated incident and does not affect Vietnam's chili exports to Korea. Currently, businesses are still exporting normally, but the Plant Protection Department has directed units to increase sampling for food safety testing and conduct stricter quarantine for chili shipments exported to Korea.

According to the Plant Protection Department, for the Korean market, chili is an agricultural export product with relatively large value. In 2022, Vietnamese enterprises exported 4,900 tons of chili, with a total value of up to 11.9 million USD.

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