Halal Flavourings in Vietnam: Decree 127/2026 Explained

Is halal certification required for a flavouring in Vietnam?

Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Article 10(1)-(2), makes halal certification voluntary unless a legal document issued by a Vietnamese sector ministry requires it for specific products or services. Article 28(1) gives the decree an effective date of 1 June 2026. For a flavour buyer, the first question is which requirement applies to the product and its intended market. Ask your importing company to review the specific product requirement before making halal certification part of the purchasing specification. Source: Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Articles 10(1)-(2) and 28(1).

Check the foreign certifier before choosing a flavour

A certificate issued overseas needs a separate recognition check for Vietnam. Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Article 26(2)(c), allows use of the mark of a foreign certifier recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology under Article 16. Article 16(1) provides for recognition through a mutual recognition arrangement Vietnam belongs to, or a ministry decision based on accreditation. Ask for the issuing body’s full name and the recognition basis that your importer will use. Source: Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Articles 16(1) and 26(2)(c).

Keep the certifier question separate from the ingredient question. Request the certificate and its scope document for the flavour under review, then compare the product name and certificate reference with the sample specification. Ask which production site and product range the scope covers and when the certificate expires. These are questions for your supplier and importer to resolve against the actual documents.

Using a foreign halal mark on the product

Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Article 26(2)(c), ties use of a foreign halal mark to recognition of the issuing certifier under Article 16. Before adding a mark to artwork, ask your importer to confirm the recognition basis for the certifier named on the certificate. Review the proposed product label alongside the certificate rather than relying on the supplier’s marketing description. Source: Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Article 26(2)(c), referring to Article 16.

Products already circulating and certifiers re-registering

Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Article 27(1), permits products imported or circulating before 1 June 2026 to continue circulating until the expiry date shown on their label. That transition is tied to the product’s existing position before the effective date. Record the import or circulation date and the label expiry date when reviewing an existing stock item. Source: Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Articles 27(1) and 28(1).

Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Article 27(2), requires certifiers already holding a registration certificate to re-register and meet the Article 11 conditions within 12 months of the decree taking effect. This is a certifier transition provision. When assessing a certificate, ask the issuing body or your importer which current registration or recognition documents support it. Source: Decree 127/2026/ND-CP, Articles 27(2) and 11.

Questions to put to a foreign flavour supplier

Start the document review with the exact flavour reference, not a general statement that a supplier sells halal flavours. Ask for the certifier’s name, certificate number, validity dates and scope. Match the proposed sample to the product range in the scope and ask about the manufacturing site covered. If any reference differs across the specification and certificate, resolve it before approving the flavour.

Give your importer the intended product, use and proposed label wording. Ask them to confirm the foreign certifier’s recognition basis for Vietnam and the documents they need to complete their review. Keep their response with the sample specification and certificate so procurement, QA and packaging work from the same set of references.

Documents to review with a VKA sample

VKA holds MUIS and BPJPH halal certification and provides halal scope documents with samples; confirm recognition with your importer for the certifier on the proposed flavour’s certificate. Our Singapore manufacturing site holds FSSC 22000 certification. The Vietnam flavour supplier page lists the documents that accompany a sample: specification and safety data sheets, certificates of analysis, allergen and composition statements, halal scope documents, our FSSC 22000 certificate, and a certificate of free sale where your importer asks for one.

Bring the application, target profile, format, markets and volumes into your brief, together with the buyer’s documentation needs. For the ingredient line and pack wording, see labelling flavourings in Vietnam. To review a specific flavour and its documents, talk to a flavourist.