ANSWER
According to the Joint Circular Guiding the Goods Label for Some Foods, Food Additives and Aids for Processing Packaged Foods (No. 34/2014/TTLT-BYT-BNNPTNT-BCT), recommendations on nutritional comparisons for vitamins and minerals must comply with the conditions as stated in table below. In case Vietnam is yet to update recommendations on nutritional comparisons, instructions from Codex can be followed. Besides, organizations and individuals are encouraged to declare nutritional information in labels according to Codex.
Nutritional comparisons permitted labeling
| Component | Claim | Conditions |
| Vitamins and minerals | As vitamin and mineral supplements
|
Providing 5% of nutrient reference value in 100g (solid) or 7.5% of nutrient reference value in 100ml (liquid). Providing 5% of nutrient reference value for 100 kcal (12% nutrient reference value for 1MJ) or providing 15% of nutrient reference value for a single serving. |
| High vitamins and minerals | Twice as much as the value of vitamin and mineral supplements. |
Nutrient Reference Values-Requirements (NRVs-R) adopted from Codex
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A (µg RAE or RE) | 800* |
| Vitamin D (µg) | 5-15* |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 100 |
| Vitamin K (µg) | 60 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 9 |
| Thiamin (mg) | 1.2 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 1.2 |
| Niacin (mg NE) | 15 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | 1.3 |
| Folate (µg DFE) | 400 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 2.4 |
| Pantothenate (mg) | 5 |
| Biotin (µg) | 30 |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium (mg) | 1,000 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 310 |
| Iron (mg)** | 14 (15% dietary absorption; Diversified diets, rich in meat fish, poultry, and/or rich in fruit and vegetables)22 (10% dietary absorption; Diets rich in cereals, roots or tubers, with some meat, fish, poultry and/or containing some fruit and vegetables) |
| Zinc (mg)** | 11 (30% dietary absorption; Mixed diets, and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets that are not based on unrefined cereal grains or high extraction rate (>90%) flours)14 (22% dietary absorption; Cereal-based diets, with >50% energy intake from cereal grains or legumes and negligible intake of animal protein) |
| Iodine (µg) | 150 |
| Copper (µg) | 900 |
| Selenium (µg) | 60 |
| Manganese (mg) | 3 |
| Molybdenum (µg) | 45 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 700 |
| Other | |
| Protein (g) | 50 |
* The value of 15 µg is based on minimal sunlight exposure throughout the year. Competent national and/or regional authorities should determine an appropriate NRV-R that best accounts for population sunlight exposure and other relevant factors.
** Competent national and/or regional authorities should determine an appropriate NRV-R that best represents the dietary absorption from relevant diets.
References
Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development & Ministry of Industry and Trade. (2014). Joint Circular Guiding the Goods Label for Some Foods, Food Additives and Aids for Processing Packaged Foods (No. 34/2014/TTLT-BYT-BNNPTNT-BCT).
Codex Alimentarius Commission. (2017). Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (CAC/GL 2-1985).
