Vietnam: What are the general principles for the safe use of flavorings under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
- What are the general principles for the safe use of flavorings in Vietnam under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
- What are the requirements for risk management measures applicable to flavoring agents and components of natural fragrance complexes in Vietnam under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
- What are the hygiene requirements for the safe use of flavorings in Vietnam under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
What are the general principles for the safe use of flavorings in Vietnam under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
Under Section 3 of National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010, the general principles for the safe use of flavorings in Vietnam are:
- The use of flavorings in food must not exceed safe amounts for food intake.
- The flavorings need to be of appropriate purity for use in food. These unavoidable impurities must not be present in the final food at levels that could pose an unacceptable risk to the health of consumers.
The use of flavorings is only to affect or alter the taste of the food, as long as the use does not mislead the user about the nature or quality of the food.
Flavorings must be used under conditions of good manufacturing practices, including limiting the amount used in the food to the lowest level necessary to achieve the desired flavoring effect.
- Flavourings may contain non-flavored food ingredients, including food additives and foods necessary in the production, storage, handling, and use of flavorings. Such ingredients can also be used to dilute, dissolve, or disperse flavorings in food. Non-flavored food ingredients must:
+ Be limited to the lowest level necessary to ensure the safety and quality of aromas and to be convenient for storage and easy to use.
+ Be reduced to the lowest reasonable level possible when not used because of technological functions in food.
+ Be used according to the provisions of this standard when used for technological functions in final food.
What are the requirements for risk management measures applicable to flavoring agents and components of natural fragrance complexes in Vietnam under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
Under Section 4 of National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010, the requirements for risk management measures applicable to flavoring agents and components of natural fragrance complexes in Vietnam are as follows:
Certain flavoring agents and substances that are components of natural fragrance complexes, or food ingredients with flavoring properties (e.g., herbs and spices) can be identified as potentially relevant to human health. Based on the JECFA assessment, proposals for specific risk management measures with flavoring agents or components of natural fragrance complexes can be considered to protect consumers.
In certain cases, risk management measures must be established to mitigate specific risks, as appropriate. Risk management measures must be consistent with applicable risk management guidelines and take into account relevant JECFA assessments.
When establishing risk management measures to reduce risks to human health from added flavoring agents or components of natural fragrance complexes as well as ingredients naturally present in foods, the following criteria must be considered:
+ The conduction of risk assessment for flavoring agents, components of natural fragrance complexes, or natural ingredients of food.
+ The risk assessment identifies a specific risk to human health related to the presence of a substance in food due to the use of that substance as a flavoring agent or a component of a natural flavoring complex or a naturally present ingredient in food.
+ The maximum acceptable levels for substances contained in specific foods are established based on dietary assessment, using appropriate methods to ensure that the intake of substances from all sources does not exceed safe thresholds.
+ A confirmed standard method must be available to determine a specific substance in food. Analytical methods must follow the Principles for Building Analytical Methods (Codex Handbook).
What are the hygiene requirements for the safe use of flavorings in Vietnam under National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010?
In Section 5 of National Standard TCVN 6417: 2010, the hygiene requirements for the safe use of flavorings in Vietnam are as follows:
- Flavorings applied under this National Standard must be processed and handled by the corresponding articles of TCVN 5603:2008 (CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev 4-2003) Code of practice on general principles for food hygiene and other relevant standards such as codes of practice and codes of hygiene practice.
Flavorings must comply with the microbial criteria established under CAC/GL 21-1997 Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods.
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