Requirements for ensuring food safety for food production and business establishments in Vietnam

Requirements for ensuring food safety for food production and business establishments in Vietnam​ (Image from Internet)

1. Requirements for ensuring food safety for food production and business establishments in Vietnam

According to Clause 1, Article 19 of the Food Safety Law 2010, food production and business establishments must ensure the following conditions:

- Have an appropriate location and area, with a safe distance from hazardous, pollutant sources, and other harmful factors;

- Have adequate water supply that meets technical standards for food production and business;

- Have sufficient and suitable equipment to process raw materials, produce, package, preserve, and transport different types of food; have adequate washing and sterilization equipment, disinfectant water, pest control equipment;

- Have a waste treatment system operated regularly according to legal regulations on environmental protection;

- Maintain conditions ensuring food safety and keep records on the origin of food materials and other documents related to the entire food production and business process;

- Comply with regulations on the health, knowledge, and practices of individuals directly involved in food production and business.

2. Requirements for food safety in food preservation in Vietnam

Requirements for food safety in food preservation according to Article 20 of the Food Safety Law 2010 are as follows:

- Food production and business establishments must ensure the following food preservation conditions:

+ Storage places and establishments must be spacious enough to separately store each type of food, enable safe and precise handling, and maintain hygiene during storage;

+ Prevent the influence of temperature, humidity, insects, animals, dust, abnormal smells, and adverse environmental impacts; ensure adequate lighting; have specialized equipment to adjust temperature, humidity, and other climatic conditions, ventilation equipment, and other special storage conditions as required for each type of food;

+ Comply with the storage regulations of the organization, individual producing or trading the food.

- The Minister of Health, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Industry and Trade issue national technical standards and specific regulations on food safety conditions in food preservation in the fields assigned for management.

3. Rights and obligations of organizations and individuals engaged in food business in Vietnam

The rights and obligations of organizations and individuals engaged in food business according to Article 8 of the Food Safety Law 2010 are as follows:

- Food business organizations and individuals have the following rights:

+ Decide on internal control measures to maintain food hygiene and safety quality;

+ Request organizations and individuals producing, importing food to cooperate in the recall and treatment of unsafe food;

+ Select a testing facility to check food safety; choose a designated testing facility to certify conformity for imported food;

+ Lodge complaints, denunciations, initiate lawsuits according to legal regulations;

+ Be compensated for damages as prescribed by law.

- Food business organizations and individuals have the following obligations:

+ Comply with safety assurance conditions for food during business operations and be responsible for the food safety they conduct;

+ Check food origin, labels, and related documents concerning food safety; maintain records on food; perform regulations on tracing the origin of unsafe food as stated in Article 54 of the Food Safety Law 2010;

+ Provide truthful information on food safety; inform consumers about safety assurance conditions during transportation, storage, preservation, and use of food;

+ Promptly provide information about safety hazards of food and preventive measures to consumers upon receiving warning information from producers, importers;

+ Cease business activity promptly and inform the producer, importer, and consumers upon discovering unsafe food;

+ Immediately report to competent authorities and promptly address consequences upon discovering food poisoning or foodborne illnesses caused by their business;

+ Cooperate with producers, importers, or competent state agencies in investigating food poisoning to mitigate consequences, recall or handle unsafe food;

+ Comply with the law, decisions on inspection, examination by competent state agencies;

+ Pay sampling and testing costs as stipulated in Article 48 of the Food Safety Law 2010;

+ Compensate for damages as per legal regulations when the unsafe food is caused by their business.

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