M'SIA TO RESUME SUPPLYING FROZEN FOOD TO EU

PENANG (Malaysia), Jan 12 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry has assured
seafood industries that the government was prepared to resume exporting frozen
food to the European Union (EU) after March.

Minister Liow Tiong Lai said his side had appeal to EU to send their
officials here to inspect the local frozen food industry.

He said the officials would be in Malaysia between March 2 and 13 to inspect
the frozen food industry.

Liow said through the cooperation of the health and agriculture and
agro-based industry ministries, Malaysia was expected to again supply frozen
food to the EU.

"We are hoping to get clear marks from EU on our frozen (food) industry
after their inspection in March," he told reporters in this northern state
Sunday.

The EU suspended the import of seafood products from Malaysia, following a
visit by its Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) officials on the farms and
processing centres last April.

The self-imposed ban was implemented in June when the EU Health Authority
found unsatisfactory conditions in local aquaculture farms, seafood-processing
facilities, fishing vessels and fish-landing areas.

Rather than risking a total EU ban that would have been gazetted into law,
the Government imposed a self-imposed ban till the next inspection on the
seafood industry, which has been scheduled for March.

Currently, 43 companies in the country export frozen seafood to EU
countries.
-- BERNAMA