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Vietnamese catfish safe, says Italian official
There are no threats from Tra and Basa catfish imported from Vietnam and both Italy and the European Union have not introduced any measures to limit the import of the Vietnamese fish, according to an Italian official.
Romano Marabelli, head of the Department for Veterinary Health, Nutrition and Food Safety under the Italian Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies, confirmed this in a letter dated April 21 when replying Luong Le Phuong, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
He also sent a report reviewing the results of tests that showed Vietnamese catfish to be safe for human consumption.
However, he asked the relevant Vietnamese agencies to work closely with their Italian counterparts to change the consumer attitude towards Vietnamese Tra and Basa catfish.
Recently, the Russian media reported that Vietnamese Tra and Basa catfish were raised in polluted farms, which sparked a public boycott in the country.
Deputy Minister Luong Le Phuong sent an official memo requesting the Italian ministry to make clear the accusations.
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