Overview

Food products in Vietnam are mainly regulated and managed by three (03) different ministries, the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). Decree No. 38/2012/ND-CP- provides guidance to MARD, MOIT, and MOH on implementing provisions of the Laws of Food Safety (LoFS). Health supplements may be in the form of soft gels, pellets, tablets, granules, powder, liquid, and other dosage forms that are further divided into smaller doses.

Increased import of health supplements, infant products, and probiotic supplements suggest a surge in demand for food products in Vietnam. As per the Vietnam Food regulation, manufacturers or enterprises that produce or trade in goods, including foods, are required to submit announcements of (or) specifications (or) food safety regulations conformity and compliance to the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA an agency of the MOH) or Department of Health (DOH). All imported foods are subjected to inspection as custom clearance is allowed only after the results show total compliance with import regulations. It is only allowed once the inspection results show that the imported food meets relevant import requirements. The LoFS outlines three (03) categories of food inspection namely common inspection, tightened inspection, and simplified inspection.

Understanding Vietnam’s food regulations and related laws concerning food can be a challenge. Freyr, as a proven Regulatory partner, assists market enthusiasts with end-to-end Regulatory support.