The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed the Government lift its ban on importing most frozen animal organs as a move to realize commitments Viet Nam has made in international agreements.

However, opinions are still divided over the controversial proposal.

The ban, in place since July 2010, originally forbade importing any internal animal organs. But only three months later, imports of animal heart, liver and kidney legally resumed. However, importers are still forbidden from bringing animal penises and other internal organs, also known as "white organs", into the country.

The ban raised concern among other member countries of the World Trade Organisation, who argued that it violated the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, a set of basic rules for food safety and animal and plant health standards, said agriculture deputy minister Vu Van Tam.

There was no scientific basis for the ban, he said, and before the ban, the volume of "white organs" imported to Viet Nam was not considerable: about 480 tonnes in 2009 and 22.5 tonnes in early 2010, mostly from US, Australia and Poland.

The ministry predicted that the volume of "white organs" coming into the country if imports resumed would not be any higher.

Moreover, in response to public worries about food safety, the ministry stated that Viet Nam's ability to control imported food had improved significantly in the last few years. The deputy minister noted that under the proposal, "white organs" must be tested at the border before clearing customs. Non-eligible products would not be allowed to enter Viet Nam, he said.

Nguyen Dang Vang, chairman of Viet Nam Animal Husbandry Association, told Nong thon ngay nay (Countryside Today) newspaper that he did not agree with the ministry's decision. Internal animal organs were not good for people because they had a high concentration of cholesterol and high possibility of chemical traces, he said.

"Improper control on white organ imports can spread disease, threatening domestic animals and poultry," he said.

Moreover, it's questionable whether people even want the organs. Tran Van Chien, chairman of Co Dong Co-operatives in Ha Noi's Son Tay Town, which raises about 170,000 pigs for their meat, said that demand for internal organs was extremely low.

"Sometimes, we cannot sell the internal organs - even to feed crocodiles," he said.

Source: VNS