VIỆN KIỂM NGHIỆM AN TOÀN VỆ SINH THỰC PHẨM QUỐC GIA

Within the framework of activities of the Food Safety Cooperation Forum (FSCF) under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the National Institute for Food Control (NIFC) attended the 12^th APEC FSCF Conference, held from 12 to 13 May 2026 in Shanghai, China. The Conference was attended by APEC member economies, the APEC Secretariat, representatives from international organizations, including FAO and Codex, and technical agencies in the field of food safety.

Figure 1. Group photo of all delegates attending the Conference

The Conference was chaired by Mr. Li Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Import and Export Food Safety, General Administration of Customs of China. The opening session featured remarks by representatives of the leadership of the General Administration of Customs of China, China’s APEC Senior Official, FSCF Vice Chairs from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea and the National Institute for Food Control of Viet Nam, as well as representatives of CTI, SCSC and FAO. NIFC’s participation as Vice Chair of the APEC FSCF further demonstrates Viet Nam’s proactive contribution to advancing regional cooperation on food safety, harmonizing standards, and facilitating trade in safe food.

At the Conference, member economies provided updates on the progress of various cooperation projects under the FSCF framework, including responses to emerging food safety issues, management of maximum residue limits for pesticides, risk communication, transparency in food labelling information, food safety incident management using new technologies, and the promotion of food design in line with the trend of population ageing. Notably, the Vietnam Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (VFSA) - NIFC participated in proposing the Concept note of the project “Strengthening Food Safety Risk Assessment Data System to Minimize Trade Barriers”. This proposal is of significant importance in strengthening data systems for food safety risk assessment, supporting science-based management, and contributing to the reduction of technical barriers to food trade in the APEC region. In addition to project-related discussions, the Conference also provided an opportunity for exchanging experiences on food safety issues of common interest among economies, such as traceability using QR codes on cloud-based platforms, the application of mass spectrometry in food safety control, authentication of electronic certificates in agricultural and food trade, and digital supervision based on ERP network technology. These topics reflect the region’s common trend toward enhanced digital transformation, greater transparency of information, and data-driven food safety management.

Other related activities within FSCF this year, the Workshop on Science- and Risk-based Regulation of Food Safety focused on science- and risk-based approaches to food safety management, while emphasizing the role of digital technology, data, traceability and early warning in building modern food safety management systems; included a series of in-depth presentations on the application of artificial intelligence, big data, smart management platforms, traceability, cross-border collaborative supervision, and trade facilitation in the field of food safety. Delegates also exchanged experiences from FAO, Codex, and APEC economies in developing smart, adaptive, and risk-based food control systems.

Figure 2. The Viet Nam delegation, including Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc, M.Pharm, National Institute for Food Control – Ministry of Health (far right), serving as Vice Chair, together with two officials from the Customs Department – Ministry of Finance

Participation in the 12^th APEC FSCF Conference and the thematic Workshop provided Viet Nam with an opportunity to stay abreast of advanced trends in food safety management, strengthen the exchange of experience with APEC economies, and promote cooperation initiatives in the areas of risk assessment, food safety data, and trade facilitation. Serving as Vice Chair of the APEC FSCF is of great significance, providing a practical preparatory step for Viet Nam’s role as APEC FSCF Chair in APEC 2027. Through its involvement in chairing and coordinating activities, and through close collaboration with the FSCF Chair, the APEC Secretariat, and member economies, the National Institute for Food Control has gained further experience in organizing and coordinating agenda items, building consensus, and promoting regional cooperation initiatives. This provides an important foundation for Viet Nam to continue demonstrating its proactive and responsible role, and to contribute effectively to APEC’s shared objectives of ensuring food safety, protecting consumer health, and promoting transparent and sustainable food trade.

Other photos from the Conference:

Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc
Quality Assurance Laboratory
National Institute for Food Control