Can breast milk substitutes be advertised for infants in Vietnam?
Can breast milk substitutes be advertised for infants in Vietnam? What are requirements for label of a breast milk substitute for infants in Vietnam?
Hello, my company has just imported a batch of breast milk substitute for infants from Japan, this batch of milk has passed the safety and quality test there, now we want to promote it. Is it possible to advertise this dairy product? When I put a label on a breast milk substitute for infants, do I need to satisfy for requirements on the label? Please advise.
1. Can breast milk substitutes be advertised for infants in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Article 6 of Decree 100/2014/ND-CP stipulating advertising of nutritious products for infants as follows:
1. To strictly prohibit the advertising of breast milk substitutes for under-24 month infants; complementary foods for under-6 month infants; feeding bottles and teats in any forms; the use of fetus or infant images in advertisements for milk for pregnant women.
2. The advertising of complementary foods for under-24 month infants must satisfy the following requirements:
a/ The first part of the advertisement must have the phrase “Breast milk is the best food for health and all-sided growth of infants”;
b/ Advertising contents must clearly state “This product is a complementary food and may be used as a supplement to breast milk for infants over 6 months”; and comply with Articles 4 and 5 of this Decree and the laws on advertising and food safety.
3. Advertising contents, conditions and procedures must comply with the law on advertising.
As such, the law prohibits advertising of breast milk substitutes for under-24 month infants. Therefore, your company is not allowed to advertise for breast milk substitute products used for babies according to regulations in Vietnam.
2. What are requirements for label of a breast milk substitute for infants in Vietnam?
According to Clause 1, Article 8 of Decree 100/2014/ND-CP, labels of breast milk substitutes for infants are as follows:
1. The label of a breast milk substitute for infants must satisfy the following requirements:
a/ Having the words “CHU Y” (Attention) in upper case, followed by the following phrases in lower case: “Breast milk is the best food for the health and all-sided growth of infants. Antibacterial elements, especially antibodies, only present in breast milk, help prevent and control diarrhea, respiratory infections and some other infectious diseases”. The height of characters must be at least 2 mm. The color of characters must be bright and contrast with the background color of the label;
b/ Having the following phrases in lower case: “Use this product only under physician’s instructions. Strictly follow the preparation instructions. Feed children with clean cups and spoons”. The height of characters must be at least 1.5mm;
c/ Clearly writing infant age group suitable to the breast milk substitute;
d/ Having no images or drawings of infants, breastfeeding mothers and feeding bottles; no words or images implying that the breast milk substitute is as good as or better than breast milk in quality or encouraging bottle feeding; no images similar to those of labels of milk for pregnant women;
dd/ Being printed with the number of the receipt of the written announcement of regulation conformity or the number of the certificate of announcement of conformity with food safety regulations.
According to this Article, when your company's label of a breast milk substitute for infants, it must ensure the above requirements in Vietnam.
Best Regards!
