The Health Ministry has assured seafood industries that the government was prepared to resume exporting frozen food to the European Union (EU) after March.

Minister Liow Tiong Lai said his side had appeal to EU to send their officials here to inspect the local frozen food industry.

He said the officials would be in Malaysia between March 2 and 13 to inspect the frozen food industry.

Liow said through the cooperation of the health and agriculture and agro-based industry ministries, Malaysia was expected to again supply frozen food to the EU.

"We are hoping to get clear marks from EU on our frozen (food) industry after their inspection in March," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Unsatisfactory conditions

The EU suspended the import of seafood products from Malaysia, following a visit by its Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) officials on the farms and processing centres last April.

The self-imposed ban was implemented in June when the EU Health Authority found unsatisfactory conditions in local aquaculture farms, seafood-processing facilities, fishing vessels and fish-landing areas.

Rather than risking a total EU ban that would have been gazetted into law, the Government imposed a self-imposed ban till the next inspection on the seafood industry, which has been scheduled for March.

Currently, 43 companies in the country export frozen seafood to EU countries.