EU audits – Vietnam not compliant for pesticide residues

This report describes the outcome of an audit in Vietnam carried out from 1 to 9 March 2017, as part of the published DG Health and Food Safety audit programme. The objectives of the audit were to assess controls on pesticide residues in fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices intended for export to the European Union (EU), and to follow-up on actions undertaken in response to recommendations of the previous audit, DG(SANCO)/2014-7177.

The report concludes that legislation and implementing procedures are in place to establish a control system for pesticides, but there were significant gaps with the implementation of official controls. Consequently, no effective pesticide control system for food exported to the EU is in place,, including those established by the EU. Some private controls are implemented by individual exporters of fruit and vegetables to the EU, which can contribute to compliance of their produce with EU maximum residue levels.

Some limited measures were taken by the competent authorities to address the recommendations of the previous audit DG(SANCO)/2014-7177, but overall very little progress has been made, and the recommendations had not been satisfactorily addressed.

(Source: EU DG Sante)