THE HANOI TIMES — For the first time, fresh durian, one of Vietnam’s key agricultural export commodities, will be subject to dedicated food safety controls to boost the country’s global market access.

Accordingly, a standalone food safety protocol will be applied for the entire production chain, from cultivation and harvest to storage, packaging, and export.

The information, outlined in the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's Decision No. 3015/QD-BNNMT dated August 4, is expected to pave the way for Vietnamese durian's better penetration into demanding markets where quality and safety are non-negotiable.

Specially, the protocol includes comprehensive registration, inspection, and certification processes for each export shipment. Authorities will strictly monitor food safety conditions at facilities involved in the production chain, while authorized laboratories will conduct testing to support certification.

The regulation applies to all organizations and individuals directly involved in producing, packaging, and exporting fresh durian. It ensures every link in the supply chain adheres to uniform standards and transparent practices.

To meet international requirements, durian growing areas and production facilities must be registered with traceable codes and approved by import markets if required.

To ensure compliance, operators must adhere to Vietnam’s Food Safety Law and are encouraged to obtain international certifications such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), ISO 22000, International Featured Standards (IFS), British Retail Consortium (BRC), FSSC 22000, and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), or their equivalents.

Moreover, post-harvest processes must follow strict guidelines on storage, transportation, classification, packaging, and labeling. All steps must be conducted at certified facilities and listed in the relevant import market’s recognized registry where applicable.

In addition, fresh durian exports must also meet national standards on heavy metal residues (QCVN 8-2:2011/BYT) and comply with pesticide residue limits as per the Ministry of Health’s Circular No. 50/2016. Additionally, each market may impose its own food safety limits, which exporters must observe.

Provincial authorities designated by the chairpersons of People’s Committees are tasked with supervising safety throughout the production and distribution process. They are also responsible for conducting state-level inspections on plant-origin shipments based on the specific requirements of destination markets.

The new framework also reflects Vietnam’s strategic commitment to meeting the high food safety expectations of key markets while strengthening its competitiveness against regional rivals.

With nearly 155,000 hectares of durian plantations and yields averaging 25 to 30 tons per hectare, Vietnam is well-positioned to expand its market share and gain global trust through quality and transparency.

Vietnam has worked to ensure the quality of exported durian to secure its position in the global market, particularly in China, amid fierce competition from regional rivals such as Thailand and Malaysia, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung said at a national conference on sustainable durian production and export held in Ho Chi Minh City in May.