The High Quality Viet Nam Products Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam on January 18 sign a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in food safety. — VNS Photo

The High Quality Viet Nam Products Business Association, the American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam and the Washington-based Global Food Safety Forum on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in food safety.

Herb Cochran, AmCham executive director, said food safety was an issue of concern in both Viet Nam and the US.

“The first objective of the MOU is to help Vietnamese companies join global food supply chains under the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) International Food Safety Capacity Building Plan,” he said.

The US imports 15 per cent of its food, 20 per cent of vegetables, 50 per cent of fruit and 80 per cent of seafood.

The US Congress required, in section 305 of Food Safety Modernization Act, that the “FDA develop an International Food Safety Capacity Plan to help foreign and food industries that export food to the US.”

The US FDA will provide “training of foreign governments and food producers on US requirements for safe food. To reach our objective, we will arrange delegation visits to the US and Viet Nam, workshop and town hall meetings, websites in English and Vietnamese, Internet-based training programmes targeting company managers, technicians, and official representatives from safety regulatory agencies, special on-site training at Vietnamese companies.”

In March, a delegation will visit the US to meet with parties in the US Congress, US government agencies including FDA, USDA, USTR, USAID, State and Commerce, as well as business associations such as the International Food and Beverage Alliance.

In April, Dr. Rick Gilmore, founder and CEO of Global Food Safety Forum, will visit Viet Nam on an exploratory mission to establish contacts, hold workshops, plan future events, and gauge the needs of relevant parties in business and government, he said.

“Our co-operation under the MoU will help both Viet Nam and the US Government and business implement TPP and TFA (WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement). Ratification is an important legal step. Equally important is that businesses and government co-operate to understand and meet the food safety requirements.”

The signing ceremony was part of a year-end party of the Leading Business Club. — VNS