What are food safety assurance conditions for small-scale food production and trading in Vietnam?

What are food safety assurance conditions for small-scale food production and trading in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 22 of the Law on Food Safety in 2010 stipulating food safety assurance conditions for small-scale food production and trading in Vietnam:

- Ensuring safely distance from toxic and contaminating sources:

- Having sufficient technically qualified water for food production and trading:

- Having appropriate equipment for food production and trading which neither harm nor contaminate food;

- Using materials, chemicals, food additives, processing aids, food-packaging tools and food packages and containers in preliminary processing, processing and preservation of food;

- Complying with regulations on health, knowledge and practices of persons directly engaged in food production and trading:

- Collecting and treating waste under the law on environmental protection;

- Maintaining food safety assurance conditions and storing trading-related information to ensure the tracing of food origin.

What are food safety assurance conditions for small-scale food production and trading in Vietnam? - image from internet

Which agencies are responsible for food safety inspection in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 4 of the Circular 48/2015/TT-BYT (amended by Clause 3 Article 5 of the Circular 17/2023/TT-BYT) stipulating food inspection agencies; responsibilities and powers of food inspection agencies and inspectorates as follows:

Food inspection agencies; responsibilities and powers of food inspection agencies and inspectorates

1. Food inspection agencies:

a) The Department of Food Safety carries out the inspection of food safety nationwide.

b) The Departments of Health, Sub-Departments of Food Safety, food safety authorities of provinces and central-affiliated cities (hereinafter referred to as provinces) shall inspect food safety within their provinces;

c) People’s Committees of suburban districts, urban districts, towns, provincial cities, cities affiliated to central-affiliated cities (hereinafter referred to as districts) shall inspect food safety within their districts; the Health Committee Division, the Health Center, or a specialized agency shall assist the People’s Committee of district in inspecting food safety within the district;

d) People’s Committees of communes, the Public Health Stations of the wards shall responsible for inspecting food safety within their wards.

2. The competent authority of food safety inspection shall deliver its responsibilities and powers as regulated in Article 69 of the Law on Food Safety.

3. The inspectorate, appointed by the competent authority of food safety inspection, has its responsibility and power as regulated in Article 70 of the Law on Food Safety.

As regulated above, food inspection agencies include:

- The Department of Food Safety

- The Departments of Health, Sub-Departments of Food Safety, food safety authorities of provinces and central-affiliated cities

- People’s Committees of suburban districts, urban districts, towns, provincial cities, cities affiliated to central-affiliated cities

- Health Committee Division, the Health Center, or a specialized agency

- People’s Committees of communes, the Public Health Stations of the wards

When shall a surprise inspection on food safety be conducted in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 8 of the Circular 48/2015/TT-BYT stipulating the surprise inspection as follows:

The surprise inspection

1. The food inspection authority shall conduct a surprise inspection in the following cases:

a) Violations against regulations on food safety are suspected or there are food incidents; a surprise inspection is required during an intensive inspections period or requested by a superior authority;

b) Warnings are issued by domestic, foreign or international organizations related to food safety;

c) Food safety-related issues are reported by organizations or individuals.

2. The inspection authority is not required to notify the inspected food manufacturers, food and beverage businesses or food street vendors of the surprise inspection in advance.

As regulated above, the food inspection authority shall conduct a surprise inspection in the following cases:

- Violations against regulations on food safety are suspected or there are food incidents; a surprise inspection is required during an intensive inspections period or requested by a superior authority;

- Warnings are issued by domestic, foreign or international organizations related to food safety;

- Food safety-related issues are reported by organizations or individuals.

Best regards!