China Issues Food Safety Warning Over Vietnamese Durians

According to a report from Việt Nam News, the General Administration of Customs of China has issued a warning regarding approximately 30 shipments of Vietnamese durians found to exceed the stipulated food safety limit for the heavy metal cadmium.

After receiving the warning from the GACC, the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in accordance with relevant regulations, notified exporting companies to trace the origins of the affected shipments and begin recalling the corresponding goods.

The enterprises involved were requested to conduct investigations to identify the underlying causes, examine all documentation from production to harvesting and shipment, and inform the Plant Protection Department by April 1. The department is scheduled to utilize the results of these investigations to respond to the GACC before April 3.

China is currently the largest overseas market for Vietnamese durians, with this trade having seen massive growth since September 2022 when the first shipments of Vietnamese durians started entering the Chinese market through official trade channels. In 2023, China imported 493,000 metric tons of Vietnamese durians with a total value of $2.1 billion. The market share of Vietnamese durians on the Chinese market surged from 5% in 2022 to 34.6% in 2023. According to industry insiders, if China grants market access to Vietnamese frozen durians later this year, Vietnam’s total durian exports in 2024 may reach up to $3.5 billion.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.