Since Vietnam officially exported durian to China, 30 shipments have been returned due to cadmium exceeding the threshold, a representative of the Plant Protection Department said they are looking for the cause.
On the afternoon of April 1, at the first quarter’s regular press conference, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, head of the international cooperation department (Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that 30 shipments of durian were returned. This is the total since Vietnam officially exported this item to China from September 2022, accounting for only 0.01%.
According to Mr. Hieu, 30 shipments with cadmium heavy metal content exceeding the limit have not yet affected durian exports, but this is a warning to manufacturers.
Mr. Hieu informed about 30 batches of durian contaminated with cadmium returned to China. Image: Viet An
Up to now, the Plant Protection Department has not found a specific cause leading to cadmium exceeding the threshold, because this substance comes from many different sources: in soil, water, and nature. But Mr. Hieu said it could be due to cadmium-contaminated soil or water or emissions from the factory. It is also possible that after harvest, the water used to wash the product is contaminated with cadmium.
From the above reasons, the Plant Protection Department recommends that production units need to adjust input materials, adjust farming methods to reduce cadmium absorption, and before exporting, they should also carefully check the calcium content. amount of cadmium.
Previously, in May and June 2023, the Chinese side discovered and warned that 6 export shipments of Vietnamese durian were contaminated with cadmium exceeding the prescribed threshold.
Four months later, China discovered another batch of violating goods. From November 2023 to January 2024, China continuously discovered and warned that 23 more durian shipments were contaminated with cadmium. Two businesses in Lang Son and Hanoi are said to have the most contaminated shipments with 8 lots.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, China had previously warned about this but the level was mild, but this time it was more serious. Therefore, Vietnam needs to quickly find the cause and fix it to ensure the reputation of the durian industry in general and Vietnamese fruits and vegetables in particular.
After receiving a warning from China Customs, the Plant Protection Department sent an official dispatch to relevant localities to review the cause. At the same time, the Department also recommends applying preventive measures to avoid recurrence of violations.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development signed with the General Administration of Customs of China a protocol on plant quarantine requirements for durian fruit exported from Vietnam. Durian fruit must comply with China’s laws, regulations and standards related to food hygiene and safety, as well as plant quarantine requirements. Durian growing areas and packaging facilities must eliminate pests such as fruit flies and mealybugs; There are no pesticide residues exceeding the allowable level…
According to Chinese Customs data, in 2023, this country’s durian imports from Vietnam will increase by 1,107% in volume and 1,035.8% in value compared to 2022. In 2023, China imported 493 thousand tons of durian from Vietnam, worth 2.1 billion USD.
Vietnam currently has 876 durian growing area codes and durian packing facility codes eligible for export to this country of billions of people. Of these, there are 708 licensed growing area codes.