As per the press communiqué these regulations concern the domestic market, including imports. The technical rules are for identification and quality in the trade of imported fish. The ministry had already set rules for sardine preserve trade in 2011. The decision was taken after public consultation in 2003 but the process was not completed because the rules were not published.
The ministry said that in the cases of tuna and bonito, for instance, 54 per cent of the preserves’ declared net weight is required to consist of meat, the product is required to be kept in either olive oil or edible oil, the amount of water cannot exceed 10 percent of the net weight declared, except for grated products, in which case the rate is 20 percent.
Brazil exports and imports fish preserves and Arab world is on of its major market. From January to November this year, Brazil exported the equivalent of US$ 529,000 to the region, including preserves of fish in general, sardine, and tuna. On the other hand, the country imported US$ 938,500 worth of sardine preserve from Morocco.
