Vietnam - Veterinary Agency criticized for 'selling meat within eight hours' regulation

VietNamNet Bridge – The Veterinary Agency has submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development--the draft amendment to Circular 33 on hygiene and food safety at raw meat trading firms, said Deputy Minister Diep Kinh Tan on August 21.

The amendment was made a short of time after its issuance because of its unsuitable contents.

The circular, which was issued in early August, stipulated that raw meat preserved at room temperature would be allowed to be sold within eight hours of the time of slaughtering, and it would take effect September 3.

If raw meat is preserved under 0 – 5 degrees Celsius, the time limit is 72 hours. Food by-products such as pig’s tripe and stomach must be sold within 24 hours after slaughtering, and no preservative chemicals are allowed to be used on fresh meat.

Fresh meat is required to be wrapped in packaging made from safe, non-toxic materials.

The circular also stipulates that meat traders should acquire health certification from local medical care agencies.

In Vietnam, it is common for pig and poultry products to be sold on street stands. In some areas they are sold from early morning to late in the afternoon, with almost no adequate preservation methods used.

The circular was welcomed, except for “selling raw meat within eight hour after slaughtering.”

Meat traders at traditional markets were concerned over the above regulation. They said the law-makers did not understand about their business. It takes them several hours to transport meat from slaughtering houses to markets and it is impossible to sell all of the meat within just eight hours.

Meanwhile consumers were suspicious about applicability. They said that who knows how long the raw meat has been on sale. They could not define raw meat that was slaughtered more than eight hours before the time of purchase.

Some experts showed their concern over how the regulation would be implemented.

Deputy Minister Tan said the circular would be amended to fit the fact. The amended circular will be made public before September 3, the day the circular takes effect or later.

Compiled by Nam Nguyen

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