The Vietnamese Government has recently enacted Resolution 66.13 and Decree 46, introducing fundamental shifts in food safety regulations. These moves serve as a crucial precursor to the revised Law on Food Safety, expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in 2026.
Key regulatory shifts:
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Shift in accountability: New regulations require manufacturing facilities to directly register product declarations. This aims to close the legal loophole where commercial entities register products without having clear accountability for the actual manufacturing process.
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Stricter technical standards: For high-risk product groups—such as functional foods, medical nutrition, and food for children under 36 months—compliance with international management systems like HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP, or FSSC 22000 is now mandatory.
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Rigorous documentation: Registration dossiers must now move beyond safety indicators to transparently detail manufacturing processes, packaging materials, and scientific evidence supporting the product’s functional claims.
Dual-track monitoring strategy:
The new management system integrates “Pre-market control” and “Post-market surveillance”:
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Pre-market control: Replacing the “self-declaration” mechanism with a stricter registration process for many product groups to prevent counterfeit goods and deceptive advertising.
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Post-market surveillance: Establishing a monitoring framework inspired by the U.S. FDA model, which includes both planned annual inspections and unannounced audits when violations or food safety incidents are suspected.
Industry impact:
While the new rules are deemed essential for market integrity, the business community has raised concerns regarding potential bottlenecks in testing services and administrative delays when updating product labels. Authorities have committed to enhancing IT infrastructure and providing timely guidance to assist businesses through this regulatory transition.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quy-dinh-moi-bit-ke-ho-ve-an-toan-thuc-pham-20260203083705064.htm