On August 13, 2015, in Hanoi, IMC joined the conference “Discussion on draft and standard of Good manufacturing practice (GMP) for Health Supplement” in order to unify the manufacturing standards of Health Supplement; therefore improve the quality of this industry in Vietnam. The conference was held by Vietnam Association of Functional Foods (VAFF) and Vietnam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health.
Good Manufacturing Practice for Health Supplement (GMP-HS) is an important stepping-stone for Health Supplement manufactured in Vietnam on the path to success in international market. Moreover, it is a mandatory requirement in the process for harmonizing standards and technical requirements in ASEAN. However, until now, the Ministry of Health has not yet issued any regulation in which GMP-HS application is mandatory for manufacturers.
In order to overcome this situation, VAFF has submitted a petition to the Ministry of Health that guides Health Supplement manufacturers to proceed with the mandatory route to obtain GMP-HS Certificate by 2015 – 2020. This contributes to improve product quality, ensure the competitiveness of domestic products with imported ones and therefore promotes Vietnam’s export.
In order to prepare for this route, in 2010, VAFF assigned Vietnam Institute of Dietary Supplement (VIDS) to assess GMP-HS for Health Supplement manufacturers. Since 2014, AsiaCert Quality Certification One Member Company Limited (under VIDS) has got the function to audit, certify GMP-HS for the facilities and evaluate product effectiveness. The company leader is MSc. Bui Thi Hoa – Vice Director of VIDS.
During the conference, IMC has given suggestions and also clarified many issues related to quality factors, route and sanctions applying for the manufacturers committed to GMP compliance.