Starting November 15, new regulations on food traceability will take effect

This circular regulates the creation, management, updating, linking, sharing, and utilization of the food database under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to support state management of the food industry, food safety, product quality, food traceability, and the responsibilities of relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals involved in food production and business activities under the jurisdiction of the industry and trade sector.

According to the Circular, the database includes the following main data groups: Data on food production and business facilities; Data on food products; Data on food safety assurance conditions and product declaration records; Data on state inspection agencies for imported food safety; data on inspections, post-market surveillance, administrative enforcement of violations, warnings, recalls, and the handling of unsafe food; Data on standards, technical regulations, product and commodity quality, and conformity assessments related to food; Data on food traceability; Data on reports, statistics, and other information supporting state management of food within the scope of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s jurisdiction, as prescribed by law.

Information supporting food traceability must be retained

Regarding food traceability, the Circular stipulates that food production and business establishments must establish and fully maintain records and documents related to the traceability of food products, food safety, and product quality, and must ensure they are ready to provide or retrieve such records upon request by competent state agencies or when traceability is required under regulations.

The minimum retention period for records and documents related to the traceability of food products is 12 months from the product’s expiration date for food products with an expiration date; 60 months from the date of manufacture for food products not required to bear an expiration date.

Food production and business establishments must ensure they can provide records and documents related to food product traceability within 24 hours of a request by a competent authority.

The circular also specifies the traceability procedures for food production and business establishments.

Accordingly, food production facilities must conduct traceability for food products that pose a safety risk, when a product fails to meet safety standards, or when requested by a competent government agency.

The traceability process includes identifying the relevant product lot; reviewing production records to determine the cause of the violation; contacting the suppliers of raw materials and packaging for the product lot to verify information; sending an urgent notice to distributors and dealers who have received the batch and requesting reports on the quantity sold and the quantity in stock; analyzing and determining the cause of the safety issue; and preparing a report on the results of the food product traceability process.

For food business establishments, when a food product poses a safety risk or upon request from a competent government authority, the business must comply with the traceability regulations set forth in the Circular, while also sending an urgent notice to the manufacturer and distributor who supplied the batch of products and coordinating closely with the food manufacturer to conduct traceability.

Circular No. 63/2026/TT-BCT takes effect on November 15, 2026. Circular No. 11/2026/TT-BCT, dated February 27, 2026, issued by the Minister of Industry and Trade, which regulates the traceability of food products under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, ceases to be in effect as of the date this Circular takes effect.