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News >> Market News >> NEW MODEL OF QUALITY INSPECTION, FOOD SAFETY FOR IMPORTED GOODS

New model of quality inspection, food safety for imported goods

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The Ministry of Finance is collecting people's feedback on the draft Decree stipulating state inspection of quality and state inspection of food safety for imported goods.

According to the Ministry of Finance, in recent times, the state inspection of quality and state inspection of food safety for imported goods still have many shortcomings, causing difficulties for businesses such as: The scope and subjects of management and inspection are wide, there are not enough standards and regulations to carry out the inspection; inconsistent implementation between ministries, branches or between guiding documents and higher legal documents; over-examination regulations; has applied the principle of risk management but not comprehensively, not ensuring transparency, predictability, consistency in the legal system on specialized inspection as well as in the organization of implementation, ...

The above situation poses a requirement to standardize and comprehensively reform the regulations on state inspection of quality and state inspection of food safety for imported goods by the provisions of the Law on Standards and Regulations. technical regulations, the Law on Product Quality, and the Law on Food Safety in general, administrative procedures are carried out according to the national single-window mechanism.

With the above shortcomings and problems, in Decision No. 38/QD-TTg, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Finance to assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with relevant units in, building a new model of quality inspection. , inspecting food safety for imported goods, and at the same time submitting to the Government for promulgation a Decree as a basis for implementing this new model.

3 methods of state inspection on the safety of imported foods

The draft specifies the order and procedures for state inspection of food safety for imported goods in three ways: Normal, tightened and reduced inspection

The method of "tightened" is the inspection combined with sampling for analysis and testing, applicable to goods falling into one of the following cases:

  1. Goods that do not meet the import requirements at the previous inspection;
  2. Goods with warnings or special requirements of line ministries, provincial-level People's Committees or competent agencies abroad or of manufacturers;
  3. Goods subject to random inspection not exceeding 5% to assess compliance of enterprises; high-risk goods, suspected violations.

The "normal" method is the inspection of registration documents for food safety inspection, applied to identical goods that have been successfully imported 3 consecutive times according to tightened inspection method (unless goods subject to tightened and reduced inspection).

The method of "reduced" is the random inspection, not exceeding 5% of the total number of imported consignments, applicable to goods falling into one of the following cases: 1- Identical goods have been imported for 03 times consecutively satisfy according to normal test method; 2- Goods have been certified to meet food safety requirements by a competent agency or organization of a country that has signed a treaty on mutual recognition in food safety inspection activities that Vietnam is a member; has inspection results of the competent authority of the exporting country for the shipment and goods by the provisions of Vietnamese law; 3- Produced in facilities applying one of the quality management systems GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, IFS, BRC, FSSC 22000 or equivalent.

  • The tightened inspection process is as follows: Organizations and individuals submit inspection documents and select inspection agencies. The inspection agency announced the application of tightened inspection method on the National Single Window Portal. The inspection agency selects the testing organization to take samples for testing. The testing organization shall announce the results on the National Single Window Portal within 02 working hours after the test results are available. The customs authority shall base on the test results to clear the goods.
  • The normal inspection process: Organizations and individuals submit inspection dossiers and select inspection agencies. The inspection agency announces the application of the inspection method on the National Single Window. The inspection agency shall check the conformity of the application for registration of inspection. Customs authorities shall base on notification of inspection results to clear goods.

Clear assignment of responsibilities

The draft also mentions the state inspection agency for quality, the state inspection of food safety.

Inspection agencies are assigned/designated by line ministries or customs offices to carry out state inspection of quality and state inspection of food safety by normal and tightened inspection method.

The customs authority shall carry out state inspection of quality except for imported vehicles, state inspection of food safety for imported goods according to tightened, normal, and reduced inspection methods.

Using traceability information, information on goods quality and food safety of countries' customs authorities to analyze and assess risks of goods, manufacturers and importers.

The results of quality inspection and food safety inspection by the customs authority are the basis for the customs declarant to carry out customs procedures, in case of disagreement with the conclusion of the customs authority, the declarant complaints, or lawsuits according to the provisions of law.

The Ministry of Finance said that the development of the draft Decree aims to improve regulations on quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods in the direction of promoting the application of information technology, apply risk management, simplify quality inspection and food safety inspection procedures for imported goods, reduce contact points between businesses and agencies and organizations; cut costs and customs clearance time for imported goods.

Besides, reorganize the operational model of quality inspection and food safety inspection for imported goods in the direction of simplicity, efficiency, division of responsibilities in a reasonable, clear, and transparent manner among the participating parties.

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