The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will conduct food hygiene and safety inspections in all Vietnamese pepper processing businesses.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the FDA found products imported from several countries do not meet its food hygiene and safety standards.

The inspections will last from now until October 2010.

In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam exported 23,000 tonnes of pepper at around US$3,100 per tonne, earning around US$66 million.

VOVNEWS