According to Decree 15/2018 / ND-CP replacing Decree No. 38/2012 / ND-CP, which guides some articles of the Law on Food Safety promulgated by the Government and effective from 2nd February 2018, the management of food safety will be more scientific and will result in less red tape for enterprises, reducing the number and complexity of procedures for the registration, announcement and inspection of food.

The decree states that enterprises will be permitted to announce the introduction of their own products and are responsible under the law for that announcement, rather than sending the records of announcement to state certification bodies.

Some specific products such as health food and foods with compound food additives will still have their registration and announcements overseen by the Ministry of Health and the Department of Health and any announcement regarding these shall need to be approved.

Nutritional products for children up to 36 months of age must still be registered for with the local health department before products can be brought to market; remaining products shall be announced by enterprises under the instruction.

State management agencies will strengthen post-inspection, inspection and penalties for violations, while expanding the scope and raising the level of sanctions in accordance with the law. Overall, specific food inspections will be reduced.

Approximately 95% of food products are exempt from administrative procedures. The reduced and eliminated procedures will save enterprises time and expenditure.

The Decree measures also bring about changes in the regulation of production and the business conditions to ensure food safety. The measures permit a significant increase in the number of enterprises which will no longer require a food safety certificate of eligibility as well as an increase in enterprises which will be exempt from the need to obtain the certificate.