Dak Nong takes precautions against pepper contaminated with Sudan

According to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association, the unit received a warning letter from the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, announced by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office on November 28, 2024, about a shipment of Vietnamese black pepper exported to Taiwan being contaminated with red sudan.

Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association visited the pepper storage of Hoang Nguyen Cooperative in Dak Song district ( Dak Nong )

Taiwan has issued a MRL (chemical control) for red sudan at 0.01ppm. Due to the discovery of a high probability of sudan contamination in pepper, at the end of 2024, Taiwanese authorities tested 100% of imported pepper samples and found two batches of contaminates exceeding the MRL.

While verifying further causes of Sudan infection, the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association worked with agencies and confirmed that one of the possible causes was cross-contamination from red-contaminated items used during the harvesting, drying, drying process... such as pepper picking tarps, packaging...

Hoang Nguyen Cooperative in Dak Song district, Dak Nong produces organic pepper for export.

The Association has requested all purchasing export enterprises to immediately take timely prevention and control measures and widely announce them.

Agents, farmers and other relevant entities in the pepper supply chain from the garden to the factory must immediately stop and replace the use of red and pink packaging and containers for fresh and dry pepper with white packaging.

Sudan dye, commonly known as sudan dye, is an industrial dye used to color plastics and other synthetic materials red.

Sudan red is classified by the world as a toxic dye because it can cause cancer by damaging cell DNA.

Sudan has four types found: red sudan I, orange-red sudan II, dark red sudan III, dark red sudan IV, and also sudan which is a dye that is not soluble in water but only soluble in oil.

In the context of farmers in the Central Highlands provinces, of which Dak Nong is currently the province with the largest area and output, information from the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association is very important to avoid risks in export.

Dak Nong is at the peak of pepper harvest (Photo: Duc Hung)

The Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association requires that this work must be unified and synchronized in all businesses to help create a fair playing field for the entire system of purchasing warehouses, agents, and people. Only then can cross-contamination of Sudan Red be effectively controlled in the shortest time.

The Association looks forward to receiving cooperation and commitment from farmers and businesses in implementing measures to prevent and control this issue, contributing to protecting the reputation and quality of Vietnamese pepper in the international market.

Dak Nong recommends that farmers do not dry or store pepper in red containers (Photo: Duc Hung)

Dak Nong currently has 34,000 hectares of pepper, with an output of about 70,000 tons/crop. In Dak Nong, specialized agencies have informed about this warning.

Mr. Ho Gam, Chairman of Dak Nong Farmers’ Association said: “We have informed and announced the solution to the network of grassroots associations, members, farmers, cooperatives, and pepper farms. That is, not to use colored tools and packaging in harvesting, drying, pre-processing, bagging, and packaging... pepper. Farmers, cooperatives, and farms must use colorless tools, harvesting tarps, drying tarps, and packaging.”

Mr. Le Anh Son, Director of Binh Minh Cooperative, Cu Jut district said: Sudan is an industrial dye used to dye red plastic and other synthetic substances.

The Cooperative has disseminated information to more than 1,000 farmers and members on actions to control sudan residue in pepper in ways as instructed by the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association.

Binh Minh Cooperative, Cu Jut district has quickly disseminated solutions to avoid risks from sudan chemicals to farmers to improve pepper quality.

Currently, 95% of Vietnam's pepper products are exported. In 2024, Vietnam's pepper exports set a record after 10 years, bringing in 1.3 billion USD. Countries strictly control the quality of pepper products, including sudan.

Source: https://baodaknong.vn/dak-nong-de-phong-ho-tieu-nhiem-chat-sudan-243205.html