Regulatory review: Spotlight on Vietnam’s contaminant limits, Indonesia’s halal certification and more

Vietnam to place new heavy metal, microbial limits for supplements from Aug 2025​  ​

Vietnam is introducing new limits on contaminants permitted in health supplements from August 1, 2025, but existing products can still be sold in the market until their expiry dates.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health introduced the “National technical regulation on the limits of contaminants for health supplements / dietary supplements” last month.

The document listed limits on heavy metals, microorganisms, as well as sampling and testing methods for health supplements, based on ASEAN guidelines.

Halal happenings: Indonesia’s new halal certification system for international companies expected to boost food and beverage trade​

The Indonesian government has launched a new halal certification system dedicated to international companies, and this is expected to significantly accelerate certified product imports.

Known as the Foreign Halal Certification Registration (RSHLN), it can be used by all foreign companies exporting to Indonesia that already have halal certification by their authorised local certification bodies.

These products can then be registered with RSHLN without having to go through the local certification process in Indonesia, in turn speeding up the process.

'Ignoring ethical standards': Rapid rise of social commerce fuelling misleading functional foods online ads in Vietnam​  

The rapid rise of social commerce has brought along a host of problems related to the advertising of dietary supplements and functional foods in Vietnam, according to statistics from the industry association.

According to the Vietnam Association of Functional Foods (VAFF), 80 per cent of the online advertisements on social media platforms on functional foods were false advertising.

Common issues include causing consumers to confuse the functional food as medicines, making exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims.

India’s food and drug authorities in talks over which body controls vitamins and minerals above RDA​  

There is an ongoing discussion between India’s food and drug regulators, as well as industry, on whether vitamins and minerals above one recommended dietary allowance (RDA) and upper limits should be regulated by the drug regulator instead.

The authorities have also involved industry stakeholders, including companies and industry associations, in the discussion.

Health Foods and Dietary Supplements Association (HADSA) is one of the associations involved.

UK launches ashwagandha safety consultation as Indian experts step up defense​​

Ashwagandha suppliers are being urged to invest in defense as the UK Food Safety Agency (FSA) launches a consultation into the herb.

The UK Government is welcoming data from food business operators (FBOs) who manufacture, process, distribute, use, sell or import food supplements containing ashwagandha, as well as any other experts or researchers within the field.

The purpose is to build an evidence package on ashwagandha (aka Withania somnifera​) which will be assessed through the FSA’s risk analysis process.