MOH Guidance for Food Products Declaration & Import

    Last month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Vietnam issued an Official Letter instructing the management of Food Safety and Product Declaration in the country.

    This letter urges the need for preparing regulatory dossiers and complying with the current regulatory framework for Food Product Declarations, Product Registration, Labelling, and Import Inspection Procedures in Vietnam.

    Some key points to be considered:

        – Mandatory Product Registration: registration is required for the following food categories:
            • Health Supplements and certain Food Supplements
            • Medical Nutrition foods
            • Foods for Special Dietary Purposes
            • Nutrition products for children under 36 months.

        – Food Safety Certificates:
            • Food facilities must obtain Food Safety certificates; additional reporting requirements are mandatory for domestic manufacturers of health supplements.

        – Imported Food Products
            • Importers must report food safety inspection dossiers before the arrival of goods arrival and notify the relevant authorities of product storage locations.

        – Compliance with Labelling Requirements
            • Companies dealing with regulated food categories must comply with the national food labelling requirements and obtain pre-approval for advertising materials.

    For business operators in Vietnam, observation of these procedures will be crucial to ensure product supply continuity, avoid shipment delays and inspection issues, or, in a worst-case scenario, prevent market access restrictions and product recalls.