This proposal is part of a draft decree amending Decree 15 on the implementation of the Food Safety Law. This action follows the discovery of numerous substandard products, including Kera vegetable candy, counterfeit milk powder, and large-scale counterfeit functional foods.

Supplements are products added to the daily diet to provide additional nutrients or beneficial active ingredients that the body may not receive enough of through regular food. Currently, supplements are not clearly defined in Decree 15 and are not subject to declaration registration. These products are classified as pre-packaged processed foods and only require self-certification.

"However, this situation has led to many organizations and individuals misclassifying products. In addition, many entities self-identify as supplements and self-certify," a Ministry of Health representative said.

Management authorities added that many businesses exaggerate the features and uses of their products because they are not required to register advertisement content.

Therefore, the new draft requires supplements to register declarations and control advertising content to prevent misleading information that could confuse consumers.

Miss Thuy Tien, Hang Du Muc, Quang Linh Vlogs (from left to right) during a livestream selling Kera candy. Photo: Video screenshot. *Italicized*

For health supplements, medical nutrition foods, and foods for children under 36 months of age, businesses previously only needed to commit to food safety compliance and take responsibility for their products. Therefore, the declaration registration dossier was simplified to emphasize the responsibility of businesses in complying with the law.

"However, some businesses have taken advantage of this policy to use many ingredients without actual functionality in their products, purely for advertising purposes, without regard for actual quality," the Ministry of Health stated.

The new draft requires enhanced control, from ingredients and safety standards to product efficacy, starting from the research phase. Production facilities must meet international standards such as HACCP, GMP, ISO 22000, or equivalent, instead of just general safety conditions.

"This measure helps ensure higher quality and safety, comparable to developed countries," the Ministry representative emphasized.

The Ministry of Health also proposes simultaneous testing of both safety and quality indicators to prevent fraud and protect consumers. Currently, businesses only need to submit test results for safety indicators when registering, while quality indicators are not mandatory. This has led to many products not matching their advertised claims, such as the case of Kera vegetable candy, which contains 35% sorbitol but was not declared.

In addition to tightening product declaration dossiers, the Ministry of Health proposes strengthening post-inspection with mandatory periodic and unannounced inspections. The Ministry also requires data sharing between ministries, sectors, and local authorities through the National Public Service Portal for comprehensive management.

The proposal also strengthens supervision of advertising businesses, advertising distributors, and key opinion leaders (KOLs), while requiring disclosure of the relationship between advertisers and sponsors.

Recently, authorities have uncovered numerous large-scale cases of counterfeit drug, milk, and health supplement production and trade. Since the beginning of the year, relevant units have handled over 34,000 violations, including over 8,200 cases of prohibited goods trading, over 25,100 cases of commercial fraud, and over 1,100 cases of counterfeiting. Authorities have collected over 4,897 billion VND for the State budget and prosecuted nearly 1,400 cases involving over 2,100 individuals.

Le Nga