No Vietnamese rice among rice detained in Sweden due to suspected quality fraud

The Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden informed that there was no Vietnamese rice among the rice detained by Swedish authorities due to suspicion of quality fraud.

In a quick exchange with reporters from the Industry and Trade Newspaper on the afternoon of October 28, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy - Director, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden, concurrently in charge of the Northern Europe region, said that the type of low-quality rice that was temporarily detained was not the type of Vietnamese rice exported to Sweden. Therefore, the batch of low-quality rice discovered definitely did not contain Vietnamese rice.

In the first 6 months of 2024, Sweden imported more than 2 million USD worth of rice from Vietnam, a sharp increase of 94% over the same period in 2023 (Illustration photo - Source: VFA)

Previously, on the morning of October 28, the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden issued a warning that the Swedish Food Safety Authority had coordinated with the police, the Labor Environment Agency, Customs and many cities to conduct a large-scale investigation campaign to check rice distributors.

More than 600 tonnes of basmati rice were tested and serious problems were found, including insects, expired rice and tampered with date labels. In some cases, distributors were unable to provide information about the origin of the rice.

Only 5% of the rice tested met the quality standards promised. At the only rice mill in Eskilstuna, authorities discovered ungraded rice being repackaged as basmati rice during a surprise inspection.

The city authorities have prosecuted the company for violating the Food Law, falsifying documents and making false declarations. However, according to the head of the preliminary investigation, Anton Larsson Forsberg, the police have not taken any concrete action. In total, 20 companies in 6 cities were inspected, with 5 companies banned from selling and 14 companies having to change their labels. The move by Sweden once again shows that this is a market with very strict regulations on products.

Regarding Vietnam's rice exports, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy informed that in the first 6 months of 2024, Sweden imported more than 2 million USD worth of rice from Vietnam, a sharp increase of 94% over the same period in 2023.

In recent times, the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden has implemented many trade promotion solutions, bringing Vietnamese goods in general and Vietnamese rice in particular to the Swedish market. Along with the "push" of tax reduction from the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Vietnamese rice has become increasingly popular in the Swedish market.

In order to better bring Vietnamese rice to the Nordic market, the Vietnam Trade Office in Sweden recommends that import companies play an important role in checking the quality and food safety specifications of rice, as well as in distributing it to consumers and smaller resellers. For specialty rice suppliers, it is best to establish solid partnerships and avoid trading rice in large quantities. Importers, millers and rice brokers can be helpful when it comes to larger volumes, but selling specialty rice requires a good network.

Talking about the most important factor for Vietnamese rice to conquer the Northern European market, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy emphasized: “Consistent quality is the key”.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/khong-co-gao-viet-nam-trong-so-gao-bi-tam-giu-tai-thuy-dien-do-nghi-ngo-gian-lan-chat-luong-355317.html