Vietnamese instant noodles exported to the EU do not need to have a certificate of pesticide residue testing (ethylene oxide - EO) but are still subject to 20% control at the border gate.
This is the content of the notice just sent by the European Union (EU) to the Vietnam SPS office.
According to the European Union (EU), from December 2021, instant noodles containing spices, seasoning powder or sauce from Vietnam will be subject to high control when entering this region, due to the risk of EO contamination. During the control process over the past year, the Directorate General for Safety and Health (Sante, EU) recorded no violations of Vietnamese instant noodles detected by the EU with EO in the product.
EU authorities also acknowledged the progress of Vietnamese businesses in strictly complying with regulations, controlling supply chains and providing full evidence of product quality when bringing goods into the EU.
Therefore, on June 6, the EU removed the requirement for an EO certificate on each shipment issued by the Vietnamese regulatory agency. However, Vietnamese instant noodles entering this market are still subject to control at the border gate, with a frequency of 20%.
In addition to instant noodles, three other agricultural products from Vietnam entering the EU, bell peppers, okra and dragon fruit, are also subject to an inspection frequency of 20-50%.
SPS Vietnam assessed that this is a positive move to help Vietnamese enterprises reduce the burden of costs in exporting. However, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, enterprises still need to improve product quality, strictly comply with EU regulations so that Vietnamese goods can compete fairly and gain deeper access to this market.
In August 2021, some batches of instant noodles exported by Vietnamese enterprises to the EU market were returned or destroyed due to EO exceeding the permitted regulations in this market.
Currently, each country and region has different regulations on EO, some places are strict like the EU, but some countries are more relaxed. Ethylene oxide (EO) is often used as a highly effective disinfectant and fumigant in some agricultural products; disinfecting food ingredients, spices and herbs such as chili powder, pepper and cinnamon due to the requirement to always regularly check for Salmonella bacteria.
Consuming products containing EO does not pose an acute health hazard, but may cause cancer if consumed regularly over a long period of time. In many European countries, the ethylene oxide content in food is calculated including the residual level of 2-chloroethanol, a metabolite of ethylene oxide.
Thi Ha
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