The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) recently sent a document to the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Viet Nam Office requesting comments from the EU on gradually removing ethylene oxide (EO) controls on instant noodles.

The MoIT has coordinated with focal point agencies to fulfil the transparency obligations required by the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) of the WTO in Viet Nam. The Viet Nam SPS Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is tasked with informing and asking questions about the contents and regulations on food hygiene and safety and animal and plant quarantine.

At the same time, it also coordinates requesting WTO member countries to provide information on measures and procedures for risk assessment, inspection, and other related issues on food safety, hygiene products, and animal and plant quarantine.

The MoIT also cooperates with ministries and sectors and actively participates in conferences, seminars, and formal and informal meetings on transparency organised by the SPS/WTO Committee.

Currently, the MoIT continues to announce monthly drafts and regulations on SPS of WTO member countries to localities and industry associations and receive feedback, answers, and guidance for contents affecting business activities, including the import and export of goods.

The European Union (EU) has put Vietnamese instant noodles products under Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 to control ethylene oxide (EO) residues since February this year.

Until now, after more than eight months of implementing the above regulation, the certification for each shipment of instant noodles exported to the EU has been creating a significant burden of administrative and commercial costs for Viet Nam.

Therefore, MoIT has requested the working group of the SPS Office Viet Nam to discuss with relevant agencies, raising concerns about differences in the application of regulations to control ethylene oxide residues in food by countries and regions.

At the same time, the ministry asked the EU to provide statistics and assessment on the control of EO residues in instant noodles originating from Viet Nam from February to the present, clarify the basis for application and maintenance as well as maintain and minimise testing measures and EO residue certification requirements, and develop a plan to phase out these measures. — VNS