Health Certificate (HC) for Food Products – What Should Businesses Prepare?

In the course of exporting food products, many businesses are required by importers or competent authorities in the importing country to provide a Health Certificate (HC) or other relevant health-related certificates for their products. This document is an important legal and commercial requirement, helping demonstrate that the food products have been manufactured, controlled, and circulated in compliance with applicable food safety regulations in Vietnam before being exported to foreign markets.

A Health Certificate may be issued for various categories of goods, including food products, food additives, processing aids, as well as food-contact materials, packaging, and containers, depending on the request of the organization or individual, or the specific requirements of the importing country. This is a procedure that businesses should pay close attention to, especially when expanding export activities or entering markets with strict compliance standards.

Regarding the required dossier, businesses generally need to prepare several key documents, such as: a Certificate of Food Safety Eligibility or one of the equivalent certificates, such as Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification; and a food safety testing result for the sample taken from the export batch of food products.

Preparing a complete and accurate dossier from the outset can help businesses minimize the risk of requests for amendment or supplementation, thereby shortening the processing time and avoiding delays in shipment schedules.

In practice, the processing time for this procedure is typically around 10 to 15 working days from the date a valid dossier is received. However, the actual timeline may vary depending on the completeness of the dossier and the specific requirements applicable to each shipment or export market.