Chương II Thông tư 17/2021/TT-BNNPTNT: Truy xuất nguồn gốc thực phẩm

Chapter II

FOOD ORIGIN TRACING

Article 4. General requirements for origin tracing

1. A facility shall establish a food origin tracing system according to the “one step back, one step forward” principle to ensure the identification and tracking of a product unit at specified stages of the process to produce and trade food.

2. Upon receiving a food origin tracing request, a facility shall provide the stored information about the consignor and consignee during its production and trading process.

3. After each stage, the food shall be encrypted and identified by an appropriate method in order to serve origin tracing.

4. Facilities subject to the issuance of a certificate of food safety; facilities that have already been issued one of the following certificates: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (HACCP), ISO 22000 food safety management system, International Food Standard (IFS), British Retailer Consortium (BRC), food safety system certification (FSSC 22000), or equivalences which are all unexpired. Such facilities shall establish and maintain the origin tracing system according to regulations prescribed in Article 5; and store information for origin tracing according to regulations prescribed in Article 6 of this Circular.

5. The establishment of an origin tracing system is optional for facilities that are not prescribed in Clause 4 of this Article. However, such facilities shall store mandatory information for origin tracing purposes prescribed in Clauses 1, 3, 4 Article 6 of this Circular.

Article 5. Origin tracing system establishment

The establishment of an origin tracing system includes:

1. Application scope of the system

2. Procedures for encryption and identification of materials, semi-finished products, and finished products during the entire production and trading process. Encryption procedures shall be ensured to accurately support the origin tracing of necessary information from the previous production stage.

3. Procedures for recording, entering data and storing documents during the production process. 

4. Procedures for annual inspection and system update, amendment, and supplement.

5. Procedures for origin tracing (performer, content, method, time of implementation).

6. Assignment of tasks.

Article 6. Origin tracing information storage

1. The mandatory information that must be stored for origin tracing purposes at each facility for each batch produced and traded domestically:

a) Incoming consignment: Name, address, and code (if any) of the consignor; time, place of receipt; consignment information (name/type, weight, identification code);

b) Batch: information of the batch at each stage (production time, name/type, weight, batch identification code);

c) Outgoing consignment: Name, address, and code (if any) of the consignee; time, place of receipt; consignment information (name/type, weight, identification code).

2. The mandatory information that must be stored for origin tracing purposes at each food import facility about each consignment of imported food includes the information prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article and the information about the production facility and the exporting country.

3. The data management, origin tracing information encryption system shall be stored by appropriate devices in order to be conveniently searched. The minimum storage time from the date of production for food products for which display of shelf life is not mandatory:

a) 6 (six) months for fresh agro-forestry-fishery food products;

a) 2 (two) years for processed or frozen agro-forestry-fishery food products.

4. If information about an agro-forestry-fishery food product of a goods lot includes a shelf life, the facility shall store its origin tracing information for at least 12 months from the date of expiration.

5. Customer information storage is optional for retailers.

Article 7. Origin tracing order

A facility shall conduct origin tracing for unsafe food products prescribed in Clause 1 Article 54 of the Law on Food Safety in the following orders:

1. Determine the batch or the outgoing consignment that needs to be traced through stored documents.

2. Make an information statistic of the type of food, quantity of foods produced, imported, sold, or in inventory; a list of names, addresses of customers, and food distribution agents (if any).

3. Identify stages of production related to the batch or the outgoing consignment that needs to be traced.

4. Make a report on origin tracing results of the batch or outgoing consignment, or results of recall and handling of unsafe food in accordance with Chapter III of this Circular; make an investigation report on the cause of unsafe food and results of remedies application in accordance with Clause 2 Article 18 of this Circular.