Case study: Vietnam imports seafood from China with allowed

residues of chemicals and antibiotics in seafood

Residues of chemicals and antibiotics in aquatic products is a phenomenon

in which chemicals and antibiotics are still present in pure or converted form in
aquatic products, which is one of the reasons of food insecurity and adverse effects
for the sake of the user’s health. Some of the most common causes of chemical and
antibiotic residual contamination such as: First, a small number of people have
abused chemicals and antibiotics in disease prevention and control because they
have not yet understood the list of chemicals and antibiotics that have been banned
or restricted from use, or because they have abused chemicals and antibiotics for
economic gain. Second, because some establishments still employ urea and
molasses to keep exploited aquatic products fresh; use trichlorfon to kill flies,
mosquitoes, and insects used to preserve dry products. Third, because some
purchasing and processing establishments have not well implemented the quality
management system, have not fully controlled the chemicals, antibiotics generated
in the process of receiving raw materials, or have unintentionally caused
contamination during preliminary processing and processing by workers using skin
ointments.

In terms of the environment, there has been a violation of terms: The

authorized chemical quantity of Chlortetracycline is 100 ppb,but the seafood that
China ships has up to 102 ppb and flumequin (>600 ppb), ciprofloxacin (>100 ppb),
difloxacin (>300 ppb). In terms of quality (goods standards), they have not met ISO
9002, HACCP, and GMP.

Some of the negative consequences of chemical and antibiotic residues

include: One is, harm to the aquaculture environment (on the Chinese side):
Because some people still abuse chemicals in water treatment, improving ponds has
destroyed both harmful bacteria and bacteria. helpful, generating ecological
imbalance in the cultural environment; Inadequate antibiotic use in intense and
semi-intensive shrimp aquaculture produces antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria,
resulting in drug resistance. Second, customers are harmed when they consume
seafood goods that are harmful to their health, causing poisoning, bone marrow
failure, liver failure, and kidney failure, which, if aggregated over time, can lead to
cancer and genetic abnormalities. Third, the harm to the export process: If the
foreign markets refuse to buy Chinese seafood owing to antibiotic residues, the
local market will be unable to eat all of the items. resulting in a dramatic decline in
prices, seriously impacting the economy.

Here, we would like to provide some ideas and methods for dealing with
this circumstance.

For the importing country (Vietnam), the entire consignment should be

inspected. Although this may reduce the freshness of seafood and raise storage
expenses for the exporter, it assures that all items are safe. In this scenario, Vietnam
has complete authority to refuse importation of the seafood shipment. Seafood
consignments may be refused at the importing country's port due to noncompliance
with one or more of the above-mentioned restrictions. If the problem is considered
to be severe, the shipment and its packaging materials will be destroyed at the
expense of the exporter. If the fault is determined to be minor, the exporter may
relocate the consignment to another market where the restrictions are less stringent,
but the exporter must shoulder all costs. Besides, they should choose a reliable
partner like EU, US.

For the exporting country (China), in order to quickly overcome the

contamination of antibiotic residues in farmed aquatic products as required by
present import markets, contributing to consumer health protection and meeting
market criteria in the near future international cooperation In the future, the
following solutions must be implemented successfully: State agencies should
coordinate propaganda about the adverse effects of abusing chemicals and
antibiotics that are banned or limited from use in aquaculture, aquatic product
production, and business. Furthermore, assist aquaculture businesses in procuring,
maintaining, preliminary processing, and processing aquatic materials in order to
implement quality management programs, good production processes, and produce
in a sustainable manner steady. In particular, it is required to increase inspection,
examination, and strictly prosecute violations of the legislation relating to the abuse
of chemicals and antibiotics in the production and business of farming, preserving,
preliminary processing, and processing. Processing of seafood, which contributes to
overcoming the issue of contamination with chemical and antibiotic residues, as the
markets warn today.

For companies and individuals involved in manufacturing and business.

First and foremost, raise awareness and responsibility for intensive and semi-
intensive shrimp farming activities, the preservation of exploited goods, and the
preparatory and final processing of aquatic resources. Second, in order to serve
product traceability, it is important to record and retain all relevant information on
the usage of pharmaceuticals and chemicals during the manufacturing and
commercial processes does not ensure the quality and safety of food. Third, never
use restricted chemicals, antibiotics, or chemicals and antibiotics with unclear labels
or sources. Fourth, to work closely with specialized management agencies to collect
samples for analysis and residue control analysis in order to quickly detect and
overcome the hazards of chemical and antibiotic residues; to create clean, quality,
and safe products, to protect consumers’ health, and to meet the requirements of the
seafood export market during the period of international integration.

This serves as a warning to the Vietnamese side. Environmental protection

in aquaculture development is a critical issue that must be addressed from
production planning through farming methods and consumption. In which the
State's management role in the aquaculture sector must be improved, such as
assuring the supply of 100 percent of the demand for high-quality, disease-free
seeds suitable to ecological zones for the species farmed important crops and the
community’s involvement in environmental protection. In order to grow a
successful and sustainable seafood sector in Vietnam, it is required to compel or
severely penalize breaching facilities, ranches, and corporations to fully comply
with environmental protection legislation, guaranteeing the natural ecosystem's
balance.