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Responsibility for Food Packaging Safety in Vietnam Divided Between Three Ministries

The government of Vietnam recently issued Circular 13/2014, outlining the responsibilities of three ministries with respect to food safety. Responsibilities for food packaging are also divided among the three ministries, according to a translation of the Circular by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (The translation can be found in USDA GAIN Report Number VM4029.)

The three Vietnamese ministries responsible for food safety in Vietnam are: the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). MOH has management jurisdiction for bottled water; functional foods; food additives; food flavors; food processing aids; and tools and food packaging materials used during production, processing, and trading of these foods. MARD's jurisdiction includes cereal, meat and fish, meat and fish products, fat and oil, vegetables, eggs, milk, honey, genetically modified food, salt, spices, sugar, tea, coffee, cocoa, cashews, and tools and food packaging materials used during the process of production, processing, and trading of these foods and ingredients. Beverages, including alcoholic beverages; processed milk; vegetable oil; flour; cakes; jam; candy; and tools and food packaging materials used during the process of production, processing, and trading of these items fall under MOIT's jurisdiction.

For more information on the regulation of food-contact materials in Vietnam, see the PackagingLaw.com article, The Regulation of Food Packaging in the Pacific Rim.