Mr. N.-R. CHENAL asked, in a wine label with multiple languages that no private notary office can perform, how can businesses meet the requirements of Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP?

If the label has 5 synonymous languages, should all 5 languages be translated and notarized by different notary offices or only one of those languages?

Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Health responds as follows:

According to the provisions of Point 3, Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP dated February 2, 2018, detailing the implementation of some provisions of the Food Safety Law: Documents in the self-declaration dossier must be presented in Vietnamese; in case there are documents in foreign languages, they must be translated into Vietnamese and notarized (hereinafter referred to as notarized translation).

Thus, in the case of original product labels in foreign languages, they must be notarized translated to ensure that all label content is fully, accurately, truthfully, and in accordance with the regulations on product labeling. Organizations and individuals are fully responsible for the legal validity of the declaration dossier and the quality, food safety of the products declared in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP.

For Judicial Notary Offices or private notary offices that meet the legal requirements for translation and notarization of foreign languages, both are acceptable for translation and notarization. It is recommended that you contact the Department of Justice in your locality for specific information.

For labels with various languages, notarized translation should be carried out to ensure that the content in foreign languages is translated into Vietnamese.

The company needs to carry out notarized translation of the main language displayed on the product label to ensure that all content on the product label is fully and accurately expressed in Vietnamese for reference, considering the compliance with the regulations of the product label.

In the case of product labels with 5 synonymous languages expressing the entire content of the product label, notarized translation of the main language into Vietnamese should be carried out.

The Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health, will forward your recommendations to the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board (now the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City) for consideration, resolving administrative procedures for individuals and businesses.

According to Chinhphu.vn (Government Newspaper).