The Vietnamese fish sauce brand of Phu Quoc has officially gained protection in the European Union (EU), according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Accordingly, the fish sauce brand will be protected across 28 countries of the European Union starting July 17, the date when Ho Thi Kim Thoa, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, received the certification for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) of Phu Quoc fish sauce from Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the European Commission, said the ministry.

This is the first product of Vietnam receiving the PDO in the entire territory of the EU.

It is a stepping stone for Vietnam in seeking the same protection mechanism for many other Vietnamese agro-products in the EU, said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa after receiving the PDO.

Along with the development of Asian restaurants, more European consumers know about the fish sauce of Vietnam.

As a result, the EU-certified PDO for Phu Quoc fish sauce will eliminate unhealthy competition, enabling high-quality fish sauce producers of Vietnam to expand their market share in Europe, said the Ministry.

The European Commission (EC) in October decided to grant the PDO to Phu Quoc fish sauce brand in the EU after the brand was registered for the PDO one month earlier.

Phu Quoc fish sauce was the 11th product outside the EU block to be granted the PDO after Colombia’s coffee, India’s Darjeeling tea and 8 Chinese products.

In 2009, the Association of Phu Quoc fish sauce in the southern province of Kien Giang, the home of Phu Quoc Island where the fish sauce originated from, filed the registration for PDO in the EU. The move took place after the association found that many foreign companies had illegally used the brand of Phu Quoc fish sauce to sell fake products in the EU market.

Phu Quoc fish sauce production line has been established and developed for 200 years, and the specialty of Vietnam has become more popular at home and abroad after it is exported to the US, EU, and a number of Asian countries, said the association.