Plan for the implementation of post-inspection on food safety for 2024 in Vietnam

Plan for the implementation of post-inspection on food safety for 2024 in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

On January 18, 2024, the Central Inter-Agency Steering Committee on Food Safety issued Plan 92/KH-BCDTUATTP to implement post-inspection on food safety in 2024.

Plan for the implementation of post-inspection on food safety for 2024 in Vietnam

To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of food safety management, ensure food safety for the people, and contribute to socio-economic development, the Central Inter-Agency Steering Committee on Food Safety has issued a plan for post-inspection on food safety for 2024 with the following requirements:

(1) Post-inspection work should be focused and prioritized, with a focus on post-inspection of product groups/products subject to self-declaration, registration of product declarations, imported products subject to exemption or reduced inspection, and control of food safety at food production and business establishments, especially collective kitchens in industrial zones, schools, festivals, and establishments that are not required to have a Certificate of Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for food safety; establishments that have been granted a Certificate of Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for health-protecting food.

Post-inspection activities must be carried out regularly, and violations of food safety regulations must be strictly addressed.

(2) Conduct post-inspection of self-declared product files, registered product declaration files, evaluation of label content, and safety testing for self-declared products/registered product declarations should comply with the applicable standards, regulations, and laws. Regularly conduct post-inspection of self-declared product files at the receiving agency, and violations of regulations on self-declared products must be strictly addressed.

(3) Strengthen post-inspection of food advertising, especially health-protecting food advertising in newspapers, radio stations, the internet, and online platforms; sample testing of quality and safety indicators, focusing on sampling and testing of healthprotecting food products at risk of containing prohibited substances used in the production and business of health-protecting food products, such as products for hypertension, diabetes, joint pain, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, weight loss, etc.

(4) Avoid overlap in post-inspection activities: The implementation of post-inspection by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, according to their management responsibilities for products/product groups listed in Appendices II, III, IV of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP; Provincial People's Committees, centrally-run cities, implement post-inspection according to the responsibilities specified in Article 40 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP, focusing on products/product groups and food production and business establishments certified as meeting the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for food safety, and receiving product declarations. The state's responsibility for food safety management must ensure the principle of delegation, as stated in Article 36 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP.

For food production, imports, and business establishments under the management authority of two or more specialized management agencies, the agency responsible for administrative procedures/receiving self-declared product declarations shall be responsible for post-inspection.

(5) Post-inspection activities must be accurate, objective, transparent, democratic, timely, and comply with the provisions of the law. Post-inspection should not hinder the production and business activities of organizations and individuals subject to inspection.

More details can be found in Plan 92/KH-BCDTUATTP, dated January 18, 2024.

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