All seafood processing factories in Quang Ninh adhere to food safety and hygiene regulations

Quang Ninh is among 28 coastal provinces, which is home to 2,077 large and small islands. Its 250-kilometer-long coastline benefits the area's marine industry and products development. From this strong position, Quang Ninh has prioritized the development of the marine economy, including drastic policies and regulations controlling the exploitation, cultivation, and processing of marine resources.

On March 17, an inspection delegation led by Mr. Ta Dinh Thi, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Science, Technology, and the Environment (CSTE) conducted a survey and worked at Tan An Seafood Joint Stock Company (Quang Yen Town), BIM Food Joint Stock Company and Ka Long Transport Company at Cai Rong Port (Van Don district).

 The delegation also featured representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, the Vietnam Association of Fisheries Processing and Exploitation, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, including Mr. Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of MARD; and Mr. Tran Dinh Luan, General Director of the Vietnam Association of Fisheries Processing and Exploitation (Van Don district).

Since 2018, Quang Ninh province has focused on removing the IUU "yellow card" and implementing regulations and policies related to aquaculture and aquatic product processing. According to Mr. Do Dinh Minh, director of the Quang Ninh Sub-department of Fisheries, the province is home to 184 prep and processing facilities that have all been certified to meet requirements for food safety, while infrastructure condition, equipment of aquatic prep and processing plants respond to food safety requirements. 

However, the majority of them are small-scale operations that do not commensurate to the industry's development potential; the technological line is outdated, limited deep-processed goods; and insufficient added value. 

According to the assessment, the units have a freezing capacity of 380 tons/day, including wind freezers, IQF contact freezers, and wind tunnels. The capacity for cold storage is 11,700 tons.

Around 25% of aquatic product materials enter processing plants, while the remainder is consumed directly or freshly. The annual value of fisheries exports is around USD 24.4 million. The primary products for small-scale domestic prep and processing facilities include fish sauce, squid pie, oyster squishy, and so on.

Currently, all seafood prep and processing establishments in the province essentially meet the prescribed conditions for food safety. Aquatic processing establishments for domestic consumption are small in scale and capacity, produce low volumes of commodities, and discharge less water into the environment; the majority of facilities take waste collection actively and adhere to environmental protection regulations.

Experts are invited to plan environmental protection for export seafood processing businesses and to report yearly on the impact of processing operations on the surrounding ecosystem.

To promote Quang Ninh seafood reach new heights, the province has promoted and developed seafood processing firms to expand consumption of aquaculture and catching products for fishermen. Quang Ninh now has nine seafood processing plants generating an annual output of around 7,500 tons of processing and export seafood.