Removing procedural bottlenecks for food businesses.

VTV.vn - Many food import businesses are confused due to inconsistent regulations between food additives and processing aids.

Many food import businesses are confused due to inconsistent regulations between food additives and processing aids.

Procedural bottlenecks

Over 350 delegates attending the Ho Chi Minh City Business-Government Dialogue Conference on Food Safety on the morning of May 8, 2026, highlighted the pressing legal issues in the food industry. Significantly, the biggest concerns of businesses lay not in the market or purchasing power, but in the specialized management procedures.

At a conference organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, numerous businesses reported that their applications were repeatedly rejected because it was unclear whether their products belonged to the food additive or processing aid category.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Vang, representative of Tu Anh Import-Export Trading and Service Company Limited, stated that the company imports food additives, processing aids, and yeast, but only the additives are on the list of food safety inspections. The remaining components lack specific guidelines, leading many agencies to refuse to accept applications on the grounds that the products are not 100% food additives.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Vang, representing Tu Anh Import-Export Trading and Service Company Limited, presented his proposal at the conference.

The story doesn't end with a few stalled applications. According to Mr. Vang, a 40-foot container held at the port incurs approximately $40 in costs per day. If this drags on for 60 days, the cost escalates into a significant burden for small and medium-sized enterprises. In the context of increasingly fierce competition, the costs arising from administrative procedures are directly eroding the resilience of businesses.

Not only Tu Anh Import-Export Trading and Service Company Limited, but also representatives from ITS Nutriscience Company Limited reported a similar situation when importing flavorings belonging to the food additive group. Foreign manufacturers refused to disclose the full list of ingredients due to intellectual property rights, while regulatory agencies required the complete ingredient list in the documentation before processing.

A shipment of vegetable fat from this company was also held at the port for over three weeks, even after the container was opened for sample testing. What worries the company most is not only the waiting time but also the uncertainty of which agency to contact for a definitive resolution.

This reality reflects a paradox currently existing in food safety management. Regulatory agencies require businesses to fully comply with regulations, but the regulatory system itself has unclear overlaps between food additives and processing aids. Without a unified understanding, businesses bear the full risk in terms of time, cost, and potential product spoilage.

The law needs to be harmonized.

Mr. Truong Thanh Cong, Deputy Head of the Professional Practice Management Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department, stated that if a substance is both a food additive and a processing aid, its nature and function must be considered to determine the appropriate classification. However, this method of classification is currently a point of contention because there are no specific and consistent guidelines among the relevant agencies.

From a management perspective, strict food safety control is necessary because it directly relates to public health. However, strict management does not mean leaving businesses to navigate a labyrinth of procedures on their own. Effective governance must help businesses know exactly what they need to do, where to submit their applications, and how long it will take to receive a response.

From a management perspective, strict food safety control is necessary because it directly relates to public health.

Mr. Le Anh Hoang, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center, acknowledged that the implementation of the new regulations in Decree 46/2026/ND-CP has created many difficulties, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, innovative businesses, and business models based on digital platforms.

According to Mr. Hoang, the business community is proposing a comprehensive revision of the Food Safety Law to ensure it is consistent, transparent, easy to apply, and harmonizes state management with business development. This is not only the desire of businesses but also an urgent requirement of the investment environment.

It is noteworthy that the majority of issues raised at the conference fell under the jurisdiction of various ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment . This fragmented management structure forces businesses to go to multiple places, but none of them have the authority to handle issues comprehensively.

A safe food market requires strict technical barriers. But these barriers must be transparent and consistently enforceable. If regulations lack consistency, legitimate businesses will be drawn into a bureaucratic maelstrom, and regulatory agencies will struggle to improve their control effectiveness.

The biggest message from the dialogue in Ho Chi Minh City is not about a few containers stuck at the port. What businesses need most is a clear, interconnected, and consistent management mechanism to prevent situations where each place interprets the law differently. As long as the legal gap remains unfilled, the confusion for businesses will continue, and the ultimate cost will very likely fall on consumers.

Source: https://vtv.vn/go-diem-nghen-thu-tuc-cho-doanh-nghiep-thuc-pham-100260508154128338.htm