Decree No 15, effective since February 2, 2018, dictates several changes, the most notable of which is giving firms the right to self-declare food-product origins and quality, replacing the long-standing method of keeping records at public management agencies. (Photo: VGP)Hanoi (VNA) - Food enterprises can now declare their products safe andhygienic, without having to apply for any official certification.
Decree 15/2018/NĐ-CP was put into effect last month, with the food safetychange one of its most significant parts.
Under the decree, organisations and individuals producing and selling food willannounce their product’s safety on multi-media, websites or at their officesthemselves, instead of applying for food safety and hygiene certificates likebefore.
Le Thi Thu, owner of an enterprise producing pork pies, spring rolls andsausages in Bien Hoa city, the southern province of Dong Nai, told ThanhNien (Young People) newspaper that, to apply for the certificate, anenterprise must prepare two sets of documents and each set had 11 differentkinds of papers.
The papers included detailed information about the products, a circulationcertificate, a medical certificate, a trademark, a periodic supervising planand a trading certificate.
“The procedure has been abolished, helping enterprises escape a greatburden,” she said.
Le Quang Hau, owner of the Quang Hau Spring Roll and Pork Pies Enterprise in TanPhu district in HCM City, said depending on each province and city, completingthe procedure could cost 6-10 million VND (260-440 USD). Business owners alsohad to travel to different offices to complete it.
Another problem, Hau said, was that the food safety and hygiene certificatedictated that the enterprise had to take responsibility for their own products.
“It meant that the food management office issues the certificate for theenterprise, but it did not take the responsibility for the certificate,” said Hau.
Truong Chi Thien, Director of the Vinh Thanh Dat Food Joint-stock Company, saidthat to bring an egg to market, it took 15 days to complete procedures. Manyenterprises had to hire more employees to do the procedures.
A survey of the Central Institute for Economic Management announced recentlysaid that to apply for a food safety hygiene certificate, each enterprise mustpay about 10 million VND (440 USD), and 30 million VND (1,300 USD) in somecases.
Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said themedical sector’s certificates for food enterprises could not cover all of theenterprises’ work. If an enterprise has bad work, it can rely on thecertificate to avoid punishment, he said.-VNA
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