Circular No. 44/2018/TT-BNNPTNT dated December 28, 2018 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on state inspection of safety for food of plant origin intended for export

CIRCULAR

On state inspection of safety for food of plant origin intended for export^[1]

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 15/2017/ND-CP of February 17, 2017, defining the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to the June 17, 2010 Law on Food Safety;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP of February 2, 2018, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Food Safety;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Plant Protection;

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development promulgates the Circular on state inspection of safety for food of plant origin intended for export.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular prescribes state inspection of safety (below referred to as inspection) of food of plant origin intended for export in the fields under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the request of importing countries.

Article 2. Subjects of application

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations and individuals engaged in inspection of food of plant origin intended for export at the request of importing countries.

Chapter II

SPECIFIC PROVISIONS ON INSPECTION OF FOOD OF PLANT ORIGIN INTENDED FOR EXPORT

Article 3. Competence to inspect food of plant origin intended for export

Regional plant quarantine sub-departments and border-gate plant quarantine stations are agencies performing inspection of food of plant origin intended for export (below referred to as inspection agencies).

Article 4. Dossier, order and procedures for inspection of food of plant origin intended for export

1. A dossier must comprise

a/ The written registration for inspection of food of plant origin intended for export, made according to the form in Appendix I to this Circular;

b/ For registration for first-time inspection, a certified copy or copy (enclosed with the original for comparison) of one of the following papers:

The certificate of satisfaction of food safety conditions, for food producers and traders subject to grant of certificates of satisfaction of food safety conditions;

The certificate of good agriculture practice (GAP), good manufacturing practice (GMP), hazard analysis and critical control point system (HACCP), food safety management system (ISO 22000), international food standard (IFS), global standard for food safety (BRC), and food safety system certification (FSSC 22000) or an equivalent paper, for establishments not subject to grant of certificates of satisfaction of food safety conditions prescribed at Point k, Clause 1, Article 12 of the Government’s Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP of February 2, 2018, detailing a number of articles of the Law on Food Safety (below referred to as Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP);