Mandatory Traceability of products and foods

The Ministry of Health has just issued Circular No. 25/2019 / TT-BYT regulating the traceability of food products under the management of the Ministry of Health.

Mandatory traceability applies to any production and business establishments?

On August 30, 2019, the Ministry of Health has just issued Circular 25/2019 / TT-BYT regulating the traceability of products and foods under the management of the Ministry of Health. The Circular comes into force from October 16, 2019.

So, which production and business establishments are under the management of the Ministry of Health? And to ensure that traceability is performed according to what requirements?

1. Applicable object is required to traceability

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals involved in the production and trading of food products. Or have activities related to food safety under the management of the Ministry of Health in Vietnam.

And specifically, below are the provisions in Appendix II issued together with the Government’s Decree No. 15/2018 / ND-CP dated February 2, 2018, under the management authority of the Ministry of Health. Production and trading related to products, food groups under compulsory traceability.

LIST OF FOOD PRODUCTS / GROUPS OF FOOD – GOODS UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH

2. Principles of product and food origin traceability

In Circular 25/2019 / TT-BYT, the Ministry of Health also gives three specific traceability principles:

Traceability of food products according to the principle of “one step up – one step” is the tracking and identification of the pre-production and post-production stages in the establishment; the first production and / or business establishment and the following production and / or business establishment for food products.
Food product traceability is performed according to product batches. This may include the traceability of the batch of relevant raw materials used to produce or process the batch of food products.
Information used to trace unsafe food products is obtained from the product traceability system established by food product manufacturers and traders and other relevant information. concerned.

Accordingly, regarding the traceability, production and business establishments must:

3. Requirements for establishments that manufacture and / or trade in food products

1. Establish a system of traceability data to keep complete information about product batches, origin, product safety, raw materials, production process, processing, storage and distribution.
2. Store and maintain data for a minimum of 12 months from the expiration date of the batch. 24 months from the production date of the product batch, for tools and materials contained. No expiry date is required for the tool or its container.
3. Traceability of products according to regulations and report results of implementation to competent authorities up to 05 working days after self-discovery or receiving warnings from organizations or individuals. or as requested by the competent authority.
4. Analyzing and determining the cause of unsafety for the batch of products to be traced. In case of unsafe products, they must be recalled and disposed of.
5. Apply a traceability data system according to identification code when required by the competent authority.