In-depth
Ministry attempts to ease fish sauce concerns
  • | dtinews.vn | November 01, 2016 11:57 AM
 >>  All fish sauces are safe: Health Ministry

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has said that their latest fish sauce quality tests gave the all-clear to producers.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that
100% of the samples were safe

According to the ministry's reported released on October 31, 100% of the samples that were randomly taken are safe.

Talking about labelling accurate ingredient list for consumers, the ministry said several manufacturers only list general protein information on the label, there's no clear information about amino acids or ammonia. Some were found to have omitted information or lied about the protein information on the label.

The ministry said they would review and develop criteria for sauces and help people understand more about traditional fish sauce. More detailed regulations about classification and labelling will be issued in accordance with international food standards.

On October 17, Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association claimed that most fish sauce had arsenic content dangerously exceeding permitted levels.

Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers and several fish sauce associations asked for help from the prime minister as their businesses had been badly affected by the claim and that consumer association had caused misunderstandings about organic arsenic and toxic inorganic arsenic

Fish sauce which is extracted from the fermentation of fish with sea salt contains organic arsenic. Organic arsenic is safe for human consumption. In addition, even though people use fish sauce daily, they only consume a very small amount.

Meanwhile, the permitted level for inorganic arsenic in dipping sauces under Ministry of Health's standard is 1mg/kg.

A survey about fish sauces from Vietnam and Thailand published on Food Chemistry Magazine in February 2008 showed that only arsenobetaine, a type of organic arsenic, was detected and the arsenic levels varied from 0.69 to 2.75mg/litre.

All fish sauces on the market are safe for human consumption, an opinion underlined by the Ministry of Health October 22 after inspecting 247 samples of traditional and industrial fish sauces.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said the additives used were also in accordance with the international food standards and Ministry of Health's regulations.

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