10 Jul 2023

The 2006 Law on Standards and Technical Regulations of Vietnam reformed and simplified the system, with National Standards (TCVNs) being applied voluntarily and National Technical Regulations (QCVNs) mandatorily.

7,519 National Standards of Vietnam (TCVNs), as of 2022, are in harmony with international standards, regional standards, and advanced foreign standards, accounting for 59.6% of the total TCVNs. Such alignment to international trade requirements, as guided by the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the many Free Trade Agreements Vietnam has signed, is even more evident in the Food Sector. The harmonization rate of TCVNs for food and feed test methods is 85.3% -- with 46.2% TCVNs harmonized to ISO standards, 16.9% AOAC standards, 12.0% EN standards, and 10.1% other standards.

While TCVNs are recommended, QCVNs provide basic requirements to be complied. QCVNs in the field of food are promulgated by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and cite TCVNs as well others such as ISO and AOAC methods when relevant.

Dr. Trieu Viet Phuong, Deputy Director of Vietnam Standards and Quality Institute (VSQI), will analyze how AOAC methods are harmonized and/or referenced in TCVNs and QCVNs. He will also discuss the actual usage of AOAC methods in representative public and non-public laboratories. The audience will be able to make comments about the trend of using AOAC methods in testing activities in Vietnam, as well as see how TCVNs and AOAC methods support food safety/quality and food trade.

Vietnam's Bureau of Accreditation (BoA) was established in 1995 to carry out accreditation programs for testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies. By the middle of 2023, BoA has accredited more than 1,500 laboratories, more than 70% of which are in the Chemistry, Biology, or Pharmaceutical categories. Among those, food, feed, supplement, and pharmaceutical laboratories play significant roles.

AOAC validated methods are cited more by food and feed laboratories, which use mainly Vietnam's National Standards (TCVN), AOAC and ISO methods. The application of AOAC methods, however, depends on a matrix of factors and does not match up to the needs of the laboratories and the potentials of the sector.

Ms. Hoang Thanh Duong, Head of Testing Accreditation Division of BoA, will provide a collective view of how AOAC methods are being used in the accredited laboratories in Vietnam, as well as pinpoint gaps for further improvements.

Ms. DeAnn Benesh, wearing different hats including Past President of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, Board Director of MicroVal, and Global Scientific Affairs Manager at Neogen, provides leadership to global teams to engage in strategic local regulatory activities. With the goal to support global trade, she works to drive recognition and acceptance of methods, and partners with government and non-government organizations in development of standards and methods.

In her first talk on AOAC & ISO Harmonization in Microbiological Test Methods Validation, DeAnn will show how AOAC and ISO have worked together on harmonization of their approaches to standards development, which led to the development of a formal cooperative agreement between AOAC and ISO TC34. The audience will learn about the overview of the two organizations, as well as their similarities and differences in the validation and certification for an expanded scope of trust.

In her other talk titled Overview of MicroVal Method Certification, DeAnn will talk about MicroVal Certification, which is one of the three internationally recognized Certifications. Being unique in its setup and composition of stakeholders, MicroVal offers an additional choice for organizations looking for certifications.  

With the conference themed 'Facilitating Compliance for Food Safety and Quality in International Trade,' AOAC SEA, in collaboration with the Institute of Drug Quality Control in Ho Chi Minh City (IDQC-HCMC), brings together regional and global experts and stakeholders to share the latest trends in science and technology, regulations, standards and compliance related to food safety issues across South-East Asia, and how they impact international food trade.

The panel discussion titled 'Method Standardization - Key to Reduce Technical Barriers in Cross-border Trade,' moderated by Mr. Darryl Sullivan, will be one of the focal points of the conference, working towards AOAC SEA's mission in convening government, industry and academia to develop and validate standards, methods and technologies, and ensure the safety and integrity of foods and other products that impact public health.

The panel discussion will emphasize method standardization as a very powerful tool in helping produce very high-quality food safety data. AOAC is uniquely qualified to help laboratories standardize test methods and protocols, and the panelists will share their different angles of view on how to make it work. When this safety testing is harmonized, data can be shared between different organizations and even different countries. Use of harmonized test methods ensures reliable test results can be produced in many laboratory locations.

AOAC SEA members are entitled to a discount of 50% off for conference registration (SGD120 final). AOAC SEA membership is free to the community and takes 1-2 minutes to complete.

Members can now enjoy a further discount when registering as groups of 5 or more (SGD100 per pax). Please scan the provided QR code or click the button below to get to the payment gateway.

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