The government has just issued Resolution No. 66.13/2026/NQ-CP dated January 27, 2020, detailing the publication of applicable standards and registration of product declarations for food products, including functional foods.

The applicable standards must be published.

According to the resolution, the scope of regulations on the publication of applicable standards for food covers most food groups currently circulating in the market.

Accordingly, foods that must declare applicable standards include pre-packaged processed foods, food additives, micronutrients, health-protective foods, medical nutritional foods, foods for special diets, dietary supplements, and nutritional products for children up to 36 months old.

The resolution specifies the cases in which organizations and individuals responsible for bringing products to market must declare the applicable standards.

Accordingly, products that do not have national technical standards or a conformity assessment mechanism; micronutrients; and food supplements containing only vitamins and minerals without health warnings must declare their applicable standards before being put on the market.

The dossier for declaring applicable standards includes the declaration of applicable standards as stipulated in the resolution; and the product testing results certificate as prescribed (a copy bearing the seal of the organization or individual; or a certified electronic copy).

A test report valid for 12 months, issued by an ISO/IEC 17025-certified testing organization, is mandatory, clearly showing all required quality and safety parameters.

Compared to previous regulations under the 2010 Food Safety Law and its guiding decrees, Resolution 66.13 provides clearer requirements for product declaration documents. This helps to address the situation where businesses use outdated test results that do not accurately reflect the quality of products in circulation.

The resolution also clearly lists cases exempt from the disclosure procedure, such as raw materials used solely for export production, raw materials not consumed domestically, and imported products for aid, scientific research, or testing.

The resolution stipulates that the publication of applicable standards will be carried out primarily online, with a processing time of 15 days. If the receiving agency does not provide written feedback, the dossier will be publicly posted on the electronic information system.

Businesses are only allowed to operate once their records have been made public.

The resolution also stipulates the responsibilities of businesses. Accordingly, organizations and individuals are fully responsible for the legality and accuracy of the documentation, as well as the quality and safety of the products they have declared.

At the same time, products should only be put into production and business when the application is published on the website or online public service system of the receiving agency.

In case of changes to the product name, origin, or main ingredients, businesses are required to re-declare the applicable standards.

The resolution also clearly stipulates the responsibility to publicly disclose the standards applied when selling goods online on e-commerce platforms. This is considered an important legal basis for strengthening post-inspection and protecting consumers from excessive and false advertising.

For documents in foreign languages ​​other than English, organizations and individuals must translate them into Vietnamese and have the translator’s signature certified. If translation and certification in Vietnamese is not possible, a certified English translation from the country of origin or export may be submitted; the individual must then translate it into Vietnamese and be responsible for the accuracy of the content.

In cases where product labels are in multiple languages ​​but not English, only translations of the language of the country of manufacture or the exporting country are required. The documents must be valid at the time of publication.

In cases where a product undergoes changes in its name, origin, or composition (excluding additives), the organization or individual must re-declare the applicable standard. For other changes, the organization or individual must notify the competent state management agency in writing of the changes and may produce and market the product immediately after sending the notification.

Resolution 66.13 remains in effect until a replacement for the 2010 Food Safety Law is issued, but no later than February 28, 2027.

The resolution is expected to contribute to restoring order in the food market while enhancing corporate responsibility towards public health.