The latest regulations on product labeling.

Product labeling is a mandatory part of all products. Labeling cannot be done arbitrarily but must strictly adhere to government regulations. What are these regulations specifically? Read the article below to understand the detailed requirements for labeling and product presentation.

What are the regulations regarding labels and tags for exported goods?

According to Government Decree No. 43/2017/ND-CP, the recording and management of labels for goods circulating in Vietnam and imported goods are specifically regulated as follows:

1. Regulations regarding the placement of product labels:

– Labels must be clearly displayed on the product or commercial packaging, in an easily visible location, and contain all the required information without requiring disassembly of the product.
– In cases where the outer packaging cannot be opened, the label must be printed on the outer packaging and include all required information.

2. Regulations regarding the language used on labels:

– The mandatory information on the label must be written in Vietnamese. Information that may be written in other languages ​​using the Latin alphabet includes:

• The international or scientific name of the drug if there is no Vietnamese name.
• International or scientific names and formulas of chemicals, pharmaceutical substances, excipients, and drug components.
• International names or quantitative compositions of goods when they cannot be translated into Vietnamese or when the translation is meaningless.
• Name and address of the foreign business involved in manufacturing.
• For imported goods whose labels do not yet contain the mandatory information in Vietnamese, a supplementary label with the mandatory information in Vietnamese, corresponding to the original label, is required.

3. Regulations on how to indicate the production date and expiration date on labels:

– The production date or expiration date should be recorded in the order of day, month, and year according to the Gregorian calendar, and a Vietnamese translation of the order may be included if recorded in a different order.
– The numbers indicating the day, month, and year should be written with two digits, while the year may be written with four digits. The day, month, and year information must be on the same line.
– The day, month, and year numbers can be separated by a period (.), a slash (/), a hyphen (-), or a space ( ).
– In cases where only the month or year of production is recorded, it must be written in the correct order according to the Gregorian calendar.
– The "production date," "expiration date," or "use-by date" must be written in full, or abbreviated in capital letters such as "NSX," "HSD," or "HD."

Regulations on how to list ingredients on labels.

The regulations regarding the listing of ingredients and quantities on labels are as follows:

– The composition includes the names of the raw materials, as well as any additives used in production that remain in the finished product even if the form of the raw materials has changed.

– The quantitative composition is indicated along with the quantity of each component. Depending on the product, the quantity may be the mass in a unit of product or a ratio: mass/mass, volume/volume, mass/volume, mass percentage, volume percentage.

– If the components are quantified using units of measurement, the recording method must comply with Vietnamese law on measurement.

– For food products, the ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight.

– For ingredients listed as additives, the additive group name, the additive name, or the international INS code, if available, must be indicated. If it is a flavoring, sweetener, or coloring agent, it must also be noted as “natural,” “natural-like,” “synthetic,” or “artificial.”

– For medicines for humans, vaccines, biological products, medical biological products, veterinary medicines, and plant protection products, the composition and content of the active ingredients must be listed.

– For cosmetics, the ingredients list must include all additives.

– For household goods and metal products where the main material determines their usability, it is sufficient to list the name of the main material along with the name of the product; a detailed list of components is not required.

Regulations for supplementary product labels

According to Clause 3, Article 7 of Decree 43/2017/ND-CP:

– Goods that cannot be exported or are returned must use supplementary labels.

– The supplementary label must be attached to the goods or packaging and must not obscure the mandatory content of the original label.

– The supplementary label content is translated into Vietnamese from the original label and includes any missing mandatory information as required by regulations. The labeler is responsible for the accuracy and truthfulness of the information on the original label, ensuring it does not distort the original label's content. The content must also accurately reflect the nature and origin of the goods.

– For goods that are not exported or are returned, the supplementary label must include the words "Made in Vietnam" in bold.

– The following types of goods do not require supplementary labeling:

• These imported components are for replacement under warranty and are not for sale to the general public.
• Raw materials, food additives, and processing aids are imported for production and are not sold on the market.

Nam Viet Barcode has fully updated its regulations regarding product labels. For detailed advice on designing and printing high-quality labels, please contact us. We are always ready to assist and answer all your questions in the best possible way.