EU Exporting Enterprises: Discrepancies Between Documentation and Declarations

The EU market issued 114 warnings regarding Vietnamese agricultural products in 2024. The Vietnam SPS Office announced this in Official Dispatch No. 27/SPS-BNNVN, highlighting discrepancies between documentation and declarations. This ongoing situation has forced the EU to issue warnings and recall products. Key issues include unregistered "novel food" ingredients, mismatched ingredient declarations, unauthorized additives, and lack of veterinary quarantine for products with animal-derived ingredients. Many Vietnamese enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, struggle with complex EU regulations concerning "novel food" and "composite products." "Novel food" refers to any food not significantly consumed in the EU before May 15, 1997, as detailed in Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. "Composite products" require animal-derived ingredients to be listed with approved exporters. While information dissemination has improved, the Vietnam SPS Office acknowledges that gaps still exist. To mitigate risks, businesses must thoroughly understand EU market regulations before exporting, ensuring product quality aligns with declared ingredients and complies with all applicable rules.