Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point

The proposed amendments to the Food Regulations 1985 P.U.(A) 437/1985 involve the following:

1. Amendments to regulation 361 on general standard for alcoholic beverages;

2. Amendments to regulations 362 to 386A and 387 on specific requirements of alcoholic beverages in relation to the alcohol content, the addition of other ingredients, the use of food additives and labelling requirements. The purpose of the amendments on all provisions of food additives for alcoholic beverages is to harmonise the food additive requirements with the Codex Alimentarius, i.e., Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA, Codex STAN 192-1995), in line with subregulation 19(2) of the Food Regulations 1985 P.U.(A) 437/1985. The conditions under which food additives may be used in alcoholic beverages can be directly referred to GSFA, Codex STAN 192- 1995; and

3. Insertion of a new regulation, regulation 384A which prescribes the standard and labelling requirements for tequila and mezcal.