South Korea and Taiwan are stepping up inspections of chili peppers imported from Vietnam

29/03/2024 13:55

South Korea will inspect 7 types of pesticides on chili peppers imported from Vietnam, while Taiwan will also inspect additives in this agricultural product.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in South Korea, the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has recently announced the re-designation of imported foods that must undergo inspection upon entry into South Korea.

Accordingly, the MFDS has decided to re-designate certain food items for inspection after careful consideration and evaluation due to high non-compliance rates or potential risks. For products imported from Vietnam, the food items subject to inspection include hot peppers (Cayenne, Capsicum, Chili Pepper, Red Pepper, Tabasco). Inspection categories: 7 pesticides (Diniconazole, Tolfenpyrad, Tricyclazole, Permethrin, Dimethoate, Isoprothiolane, Metominostrobin).

The MFDS will extend the inspection order from March 31, 2023, to March 30, 2025 (instead of March 30, 2024), as imported food continuously fails to comply with standards and specifications. The list of food items subject to inspection is posted on the MFDS website (http://www.mfds.go.kr) under Article 3 of the "Regulations on Inspection Orders for Imported Food"...

Additionally, individuals or businesses in South Korea intending to import food subject to inspection must submit a test report from laboratories approved by the MFDS when declaring imports.

Not only South Korea, but the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei also announced that Taiwan (China) is enhancing supervision of chili and chili-related products imported into the country.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) stated that this is one of the import management measures being implemented by Taiwan from this month, as TFDA found the banned carcinogenic dye additive - Sudan Red III in chili powder imported by a company in Hà Nam (China) 

The chili powder from this company has been used by 10 food processors in Taiwan in shrimp snacks and other products.

The products required to enhance import surveillance include goods with chili peppers under HS code 0904.22.00.00.1 (English description: Fruits of the genus Capsicum or of the genus Pimenta, crushed or ground) and products from chili peppers under HS code 0904.21.90.00.3 (English description: Other fruits of the genus Capsicum or of the genus Pimenta, dried, neither crushed nor ground). The index required for enhanced monitoring is Sudan Red substance.

The TFDA's announcement also indicates that since the end of February until now, Taiwan has issued orders to restrict customs clearance inspections for chili peppers and chili pepper products for 21 Chinese companies., 1 Vietnamese chili export company, 1 Thai company, and 1 Mexican company.

According to the General Department of Customs, in 2023, Vietnam's chili pepper exports reached $72 million, up 34.5% compared to 2022. Among exported vegetable products, chili peppers are the most important, accounting for 25.9% in value, surpassing other products in the same group such as sweet potatoes, cabbages...

In terms of markets, China and Laos are the two main export markets for Vietnamese chili peppers, reaching over 8,600 tons and 1,100 tons respectively, accounting for 85% and 10.9% of market share.

Chili peppers are predominantly grown in the provinces of Đồng Tháp, An Giang, Tiền Giang, Sóc Trăng, Vĩnh Long, and Trà Vinh, covering a total area of over 7,000 hectares and yielding approximately 100,000 tons per year.

Source: thuongtruong.com.vn