Vietnamese Pangasius Meets Top Standards in Japanese Supermarket System

In Japan, Summer Ox Day is considered the hottest time of the year. This year, Summer Ox Day falls on July 25. During these days, traditional Japanese cooling foods such as eel are widely available in supermarkets.

Vietnamese pangasius fish is processed and marinated in the traditional Japanese eel dish, sold at AEON supermarket. (Photo: Thanh Huu/VNA)

On this occasion, AEON supermarket in Japan sold Vietnamese pangasius products processed and marinated with traditional eel spices of this country.

According to a VNA reporter in Tokyo, Vietnamese pangasius products sold at AEON supermarkets in Japan are listed as "Top Valu" items - the standard for evaluating top products sold in Japanese supermarkets.

Mr. Keisuke Hino - manager of AEON seafood department in the Northern Kanto Niigata region - stated that to achieve the "Top Valu" standard, products must meet customer tastes and be processed according to AEON's strict process to ensure reliability and quality.

According to Mr. Hino, Vietnamese pangasius products processed and marinated with traditional Japanese eel spices have been sold at AEON supermarkets since June this year. In the future, AEON plans to expand the sale of this product.

Along with agricultural products such as bananas, mangoes, and red-fleshed dragon fruit, tra fish is also considered a strategic commodity, contributing to increasing Vietnam's trade turnover with Japan.

Mr. Ta Duc Minh, Counselor, Chief Representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Japan, said that in 2016, the export turnover of tra fish to Japan reached about 14 million USD; in the first five months of the year, the turnover of this seafood item reached about 7 million USD.

Representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and officials in charge of AEON supermarket in Japan look at Vietnamese pangasius products. (Photo: Thanh Huu/VNA)

According to Mr. Ta Duc Minh, to boost the export of Vietnamese pangasius to the Japanese market, in addition to ensuring hygiene and safety according to Japanese standards, the farming process, packaging, and labeling are also very important. For the Japanese market, Vietnam needs to maintain stable exports to this market in the immediate future, then research and add new export product categories.

Products in “Top Valu” must ensure five criteria: products are created according to consumer tastes; products aim to reassure customers because of safety and environmental friendliness; necessary information about the product is presented fully and easily understood; products have reasonable prices; and there is a commitment to always satisfy customers.

Vietnam’s export products to the Japanese market such as tra fish are not only aimed at Japanese consumers, but also at the needs of Vietnamese people in Japan, in the context of the number of Vietnamese people living and working in Japan is constantly increasing. This is also the goal of the campaign “Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods” abroad in 2017./.

According to Vietnam +