Stop publishing draft standards on fish sauce

At the press conference on March 12, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Pham Cong Tac, said that he would stop publishing the draft National Standard "Code of Practice for Fish Sauce Production" to continue to seek opinions from organizations and associations... through measures such as documents, dialogues, seminars... The next consultation is to ensure the health and interests of consumers and not to affect fish sauce production and business organizations.

He explained that a set of national standards and product practice regulations in a certain field will involve several ministries and sectors, but when put into practice, they must ensure three principles. First, they must be consistent with Vietnam's development level at each stage. For example, there was a period when the quality of petroleum products was not given much attention, but now they are very strictly managed.

Second, each set of standards must ensure the consensus of relevant components in society. This is a principle that is not an exception in Vietnam but in many countries around the world. And third, according to him, it must ensure the harmony of interests of relevant parties.

However, according to Mr. Tac, when the draft standards for fish sauce were announced, this agency also received many opposing opinions from organizations and individuals.

"Building a standard for each product is very difficult. When receiving conflicting opinions, we need to review the above idea because the necessary conditions as above are not guaranteed," said the Deputy Minister.

The representative of the Ministry of Agriculture also said that they will work with the Ministry of Science and Technology to complete this draft standard through organizing many workshops and collecting opinions from all parties so that when it is published, it will ensure the three criteria mentioned above.

Previously, after the draft National Standard "Code of Practice for Fish Sauce Production" was announced, businesses said that there were more than 50 provisions that were not suitable for the reality of fish sauce production. While traditional manufacturing businesses are facing fierce competition and counterfeit goods are rampant, this draft, if passed, will further exhaust businesses.

Many businesses believe that the draft contains many contents that "stifle" traditional fish sauce establishments.set unreasonable standards. Specifically, standards for controlling veterinary drugs and pesticides while the raw material for making fish sauce is sea fish, which cannot have veterinary drugs.

This draft was drafted by the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), reviewed and announced by the General Department of Quality Measurement (under the Ministry of Science and Technology) and the Ministry of Agriculture.

On the afternoon of March 11, the Government Office issued a document conveying Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam's direction regarding this draft. "The proposed regulations and standards must not negatively affect the production and trade of traditional fish sauce," the Deputy Prime Minister requested.