To facilitate business operations and ensure the quality of circulated goods, the Vietnam Food Administration (Ministry of Health) has released a list of 34 facilities authorized to perform food safety testing for regulatory purposes. This move serves as a core solution to implement decentralized management, aiming to eliminate cargo congestion at borders and local distribution points.
Empowering decentralization and business support
According to the leadership of the Vietnam Food Administration, establishing an extensive testing network allows businesses to submit samples to nearby units, optimizing operational time and costs.
The new policies for imported goods inspection are shifting towards:
-
Local Empowerment: Increasing the autonomy of provincial and city authorities in quality control.
-
Open Policy Framework: Simplifying procedures to provide maximum support for enterprises while maintaining strict adherence to safety standards.
-
Inter-ministerial Coordination: Health, Agriculture, and Industry ministries are collaborating to ensure testing units enhance their processing capacity, preventing disruptions in the supply chain.
Key testing systems by geographic region
The network of 34 facilities integrates leading national institutes, state technical centers, and highly capable private laboratories:
-
Northern Region: National Institute for Food Control, Quatest 1, and provincial centers in Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Hai Duong, Vinh Phuc, and Bac Kan.
-
Central & Highlands Region: Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Quatest 2, and facilities in Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Binh Thuan.
-
Southern Region: Pasteur Institute in HCMC, Institute of Public Health in HCMC, Quatest 3, and specialized laboratories such as SGS, Eurofins, Viet Tin, The Ky Moi, and Mekong Lab.
Maintaining and updating this list demonstrates the health sector’s commitment to transparent management and reaffirms Vietnam’s position in controlling food safety according to modern international standards.