INTERNATIONAL FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY STANDARDS IN AQUACULTURE: THE CASE STUDY OF THE COMPLIANCY OF THE PHILIPPINES' SHRIMP SECTOR WITH EU FOOD SAFETY LAW

摘要

The impact of International Food Quality and Safety Standards on developing countries is a growing concern, due to their compliancy and operating cost, but also to the risk that they may act as a non-tariff trade barrier (Jaffee and Henson, 2004; Catoet al, 2004; Henson et al, 2004; Enamul Haque, 2003). In 2004, following detection of banned antibiotics in a shrimp shipment, the Philippines have been inspected by European Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) and found non-compliant with European Union (EU) food law. In 2006, a new inspection conducted in the country concluded that quick positive changes had been achieved, and that the country was now providing a food safety equivalent to the one sought by EU. However, achieving such dramatic improvements over a short period of time cannot be done at without economic and social consequences. The objective of the research is to assess this cost in a major producing area of the Philippines.