Vietnam: How to write ingredients on goods labels from January 01, 2021

Showing ingredients (Clause 1 Article 16 of Decree No. 43/2017/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government) is guided in Article 8 of Circular No. 05/2019/TT-BKHCN of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, specifically as follows:

- In case the name of an ingredient is presented on the label for attracting the attention for that product, the quantity of that ingredient must be presented; however, the quantity of such ingredient may be written in another place of the label.

- In case the label of a product clearly indicates that the product does not contain or is free from one or several ingredients:

+ Both the product and all materials used for manufacturing that product do not contain such ingredient(s);

+ That product does not contain ingredients which are in the same group, have similar nature or uses with the ingredient(s) written on the label, unless the replacement of such ingredients is clearly indicated.

Example 1: A product shall have the label of “No sugar” if:

+ There is no sugar on the components and ingredients of manufacturing;

+ The amount of sugar on that product meets Codex standards for “No sugar”: lesser than or equal to 0,5g/100g (for solid products) or 0,5g/100ml (for liquid products);

Example 2: The label for a nutritious product for children who have allergy to cow’s milk protein, which has no cow’s milk protein but has soy protein, may have the phrase “No cow’s milk protein” but must clearly state that “Containing soy protein”.

View more details at Circular No. 05/2019/TT-BKHCN of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam, effective from January 01, 2021.

Thu Ba

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