Decree No. 19/1999/NĐ-CP on the production and supply of iodized salt for consumption

DECREE

Regarding the production and supply of iodized salt for human consumption

______________________

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Based on the Law on Health Care for the People dated July 11, 1989;
To address the situation of iodine deficiency and diseases caused by it, contributing positively to the care and protection of public health, improving education levels, and promoting economic and social development;

At the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECREE:

Chapter 1:

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.

Article 1. This Decree stipulates the production and supply of iodized salt for human consumption, referred to as edible salt.

Clause 2. Edible salt and salt used in food must be mixed with iodine according to specified standards.

Article 2. In this Decree, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

Point 1. Regular salt refers to salt without added iodine, including granulated salt, cooking salt, ground salt, brine salt, and other forms of salt produced from seawater or extracted from salt mines.

Point 2. Edible salt is regular salt mixed with potassium iodate (KIO) according to specified standards to prevent goiter, cretinism, and other diseases caused by iodine deficiency.₃ Point 3. Fake edible salt refers to salt packaged and labeled as edible salt but does not meet the specified standards.

Article 1. The production, trading, and circulation of regular salt are not within the scope regulated by this Decree.

Article 3.

Clause 2. Subsidies and transportation costs for edible salt in mountainous and island areas shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of Government Decree No. 20/1998/CP dated March 31, 1998.

State agencies, social organizations, and mass media have the responsibility to promote and educate the public about the benefits of adding iodine to edible salt and to comply with legal regulations on the production and use of edible salt.

Article 4. Article 1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall perform state management functions over the production of edible salt, decide on the planning of edible salt production nationwide, and coordinate with the Ministry of Trade to organize the circulation of various types of edible salt nationwide.

Article 5.

Clause 2. The Ministry of Health shall issue certificates confirming compliance with production standards and conditions for edible salt; provide potassium iodate (KIO) for the processing of edible salt; supervise the organization of production, strictly inspect the quality assurance of edible salt; and guide individuals who cannot consume edible salt due to medical reasons.

Clause 3. The Ministry of Trade shall perform state management functions over commercial activities related to the circulation of edible salt in the market, develop plans for the development of distribution networks for edible salt, ensure the supply of edible salt in accordance with policy, quality standards, and price regulations.₃Strictly prohibit the production of fake edible salt.

STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS FOR PRODUCING EDIBLE SALT

Article 6. Personnel at edible salt production facilities must meet the following criteria:

Chapter 2:

Point 1. Technical managers and laboratory staff of edible salt manufacturing enterprises must hold a certificate or diploma in testing at the primary level or higher and must be familiar with the edible salt production process.

Article 7. Point 2. Workers directly involved in producing edible salt must be individuals who:

Subpoint a) Do not suffer from infectious diseases or skin diseases.

Subpoint b) Have knowledge of food hygiene, product quality, the edible salt production process, and safe labor practices during production.

Edible salt production facilities must meet the following conditions:

Point 1. The production site must ensure hygiene and be far from harmful environments, and must include separate sanitary facilities and changing rooms for workers.

Article 8. Point 2. Factories and warehouses for producing and storing edible salt must be constructed to ensure they are dry, clean, well-ventilated, and protected from flooding and leaks, with a drainage system that meets environmental sanitation requirements, and the warehouse floor must be cemented, while the factory floor must be tiled. Factories and warehouses must be arranged in a continuous layout from raw material storage to finished product storage.

Point 3. All edible salt production facilities must have a laboratory equipped with sufficient tools and chemicals to measure iodine content for each batch of production. There must be laboratory staff meeting the standards set out in Clause 1 of Article 7 of this Decree.

AUTHORITY AND PROCEDURES FOR ISSUING CERTIFICATES OF COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS FOR PRODUCING EDIBLE SALT

Organizations and individuals wishing to produce edible salt must obtain a Certificate of Compliance with Standards and Conditions for Producing Edible Salt from the Ministry of Health.

4. Production facilities must ensure adequate personal protective equipment and labor hygiene for workers in accordance with laws on labor protection.

Chapter 3:

The application dossier for obtaining a Certificate of Compliance with Standards and Conditions for Producing Edible Salt includes:

Article 9. Point 1. An application for a Certificate of Compliance with Standards and Conditions for Producing Edible Salt.

Article 10. Point 2. The enterprise's production plan, detailing the location, listing specialized equipment, and technical infrastructure.

Point 3. Certificates and diplomas in specialty and testing qualifications of technical managers and laboratory staff.

Point 4. A food safety certificate issued by the preventive healthcare center of the provincial health department.

Point 5. An inspection report and recommendation letter from the competent authority at the local level.

Article 1. Organizations and individuals must prepare the application dossier as stipulated in Article 10 of this Decree before registering to establish a business or expanding their business scope in producing edible salt as required by law, and submit it to the competent authority where the business is located to request an assessment of compliance with standards and conditions for producing edible salt.

Clause 2. Within twenty days from the date of receipt of the complete application dossier for a Certificate of Compliance with Standards and Conditions for Producing Edible Salt, the competent authority at the local level must complete the assessment and submit a recommendation letter to the Ministry of Health. Within twenty days from the date of receipt of the assessment results and recommendation letter from the competent authority, the Ministry of Health must issue the Certificate of Compliance with Standards and Conditions for Producing Edible Salt.

Article 11.

Clause 3. After obtaining the Certificate of Compliance with Standards and Conditions for Producing Edible Salt, organizations and individuals must proceed with the necessary procedures to establish a business or expand their business scope and register their business operations in accordance with the law.

REGULATIONS ON ENSURING THE QUALITY OF EDIBLE SALT

Point 1. Edible salt produced for sale to consumers must meet the quality standards established by the competent authority.

Chapter 4:

Point 2. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, after coordinating with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, shall promulgate standards for iodized fish sauce, iodized stock powder, and other iodized food products; supplement and amend certain specifications of raw salt and edible salt to align with international standards and technical conditions to protect public health.

Article 12.

1. Table salt intended for sale on the market for consumption must meet quality standards established by competent state authorities.

2. The Ministry of Science and Technology, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, shall issue iodized fish sauce, iodized stock powder, and other iodized food product standards; supplement and amend certain criteria for raw salt and table salt to align with international standards and technical conditions aimed at protecting public health.

Article 13. Table salt is a product that must be registered for quality. Salt production facilities must register their quality in accordance with regulations. Sellers can only sell table salt from production facilities that have been granted certificates of compliance with production standards and conditions, and have registered their brand and product quality according to the law.

Article 14. Table salt must be packaged in containers capable of maintaining a sealed state and ensuring quality during storage, transportation, and warehousing.

Article 15. All table salt products must bear labels containing the following necessary information:

1. Name and address of the production and processing facility.

2. Product quality registration number of the production and processing facility.

3. Iodine content.

4. Weight.

5. Storage and usage instructions.

6. Date of manufacture.

7. Expiry date (maximum 12 months from the date of manufacture).

Article 16. Salt production facilities must test the iodine content in table salt before it leaves the factory according to batch, lot, shift, and team technical procedures and are responsible for the quality of the table salt they produce.

Article 17.

1. Table salt transported from the place of production to the place of consumption must be packed in bags not exceeding 50 kilograms. The transport packaging must bear the symbols "Moisture-proof," "Tear-resistant," and "Avoid rain and sun."

2. Table salt must be transported in covered vehicles to avoid heat and sunlight; the means of transport must ensure hygiene.

Article 18.

1. Table salt must be stored in warehouses with ventilation, placed at least 0.30 meters away from walls, 0.30 meters above the floor, and 0.50 meters below the roof.

2. When selling, table salt must be kept in dry, well-ventilated areas, avoiding direct sunlight, rain, heat, and humidity.

Chapter 5:

INSPECTION, AUDIT AND VIOLATION HANDLING

Article 19. Salt production and circulation facilities must be subject to inspection and supervision by health authorities and other competent state management agencies.

Article 20. Specialized inspectors in the fields of health and commerce; Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels have the authority to handle administrative violations related to the production and supply of table salt according to the law.

Article 21. Acts of administrative violation by organizations and individuals producing and supplying table salt shall be subject to administrative penalties and shall be applied according to the provisions of Article 1 of Decree No. 46/CP dated August 6, 1996 of the Government on the imposition of administrative penalties in the field of state management in health when there is a violation of the provisions of this Decree as follows:

1. Producing table salt without a certificate of food safety.

2. Violating regulations on the transportation of table salt.

3. Violating regulations on the storage of table salt.

4. Not affixing labels on products or affixing labels incorrectly.

Article 22.

1. Warning or imposing a fine of VND 50,000 to VND 200,000 on organizations and individuals producing or selling table salt if they commit any of the following acts:

a) Employers or users of labor do not comply with personal hygiene regulations for workers.

b) Allowing workers suffering from infectious diseases or skin diseases to directly produce table salt.

c) Not organizing training for workers on food safety and hygiene.

d) Selling table salt that does not meet national quality standards.

2. A fine of VND 1,000,000 to VND 3,000,000 shall be imposed on one of the following acts:

a) Not testing the iodine content in table salt before it leaves the factory.

b) Not equipping sufficient testing equipment and chemicals.

3. Imposing a fine of VND 3,000,000 to VND 10,000,000 on the act of producing fake table salt but not reaching the level of criminal prosecution, including the following cases:

a) Producing table salt that does not meet national quality standards.

b) Regular salt but labeled as table salt.

4. For organizations and individuals who misuse certificates of units meeting food safety standards, production licenses, and table salt business licenses, they shall be subject to the following penalties:

a) Imposing a fine of VND 3,000,000 to VND 10,000,000.

b) Revoking the right to use certificates of units meeting food safety standards, production licenses, and table salt business licenses.

c) If the table salt product does not meet the specified standards, it must be reprocessed according to the specified standards. If the product is fake table salt, it must be destroyed.

5. In addition to the penalties mentioned in point d of Clause 1 and points a and b of Clause 3 of this Article, the violators must also face additional penalties including: revocation of certificates of compliance with production standards and conditions, establishment permits, and business licenses.

6. In addition to the above penalties, organizations and individuals committing violations as stipulated in Clauses 2 and 3 of Article 21, point d of Clause 1, and points a and b of Clause 3 of this Article shall be subject to one of the following measures:

a) Forced destruction of fake table salt mixed with non-iodine components.

b) Forced reprocessing of table salt that does not meet the specified quality standards as stipulated in point d of Clause 1 and point a of Clause 3 of this Article.

Article 23. Acts of producing and selling fake table salt, if constituting a crime, shall be transferred by competent state agencies handling administrative violations to the prosecution agency for criminal responsibility according to the law.

Chapter 6:

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

"d) Within no more than one working day from the date of receiving the dossier submitted for administrative procedures by the specialized agency assigned by the Provincial People's Committee, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee shall issue a notification of the result of the inspection of plant-based food exports or a certificate at the request of the importing country."This Decree takes effect 15 days after the date of signature. Previous regulations contrary to this Decree are abolished.

Article 25. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees are responsible for implementing this Decree.