1. Ladies and Gentlemen,
The developed markets are increasingly tightening
regulations on imported food. Typically, the United
States' Food & DrugAdministration (FDA) has recently
issued guidance on implementing quality control of
food products imported into the United States in a
more rigorous manner.
Last November, the Trans-Pacic Partnership (TPP)
was ofcially signed, which will expand the market for
the member countries, including Vietnam. This
Agreement creates more opportunities but also
challenges Vietnam businesses in the agricultural
sector when competing with enterprises from more
advanced countries on the global playing eld.
As quoted from Vneconomy for the rst nine months of
2015, 165 shipment plots of Vietnam's export aquatic
products were found violating food safety regulations,
78 out of which were found violating the provisions of
antibiotics. According to Report by Veterinary
Agencies at the Borders, another main reason for
agricultural and sheries exports being returned is due
to incorrect packaging specication or false
information labelling.
Such facts emphasize the increasing importance of
understanding food safety regulations, and adjusting
process in compliance with updated requirements.
Realizing that, CSC Vietnam JSC has cooperated with
Global Food Safety Forum (GFSF) to establish the
GFSF Vietnam. We expect GFSF Vietnam to be a
connecting link among Vietnamese enterprises,
government agencies and international organizations,
jointly offering a solution to food safety problems, and
building a reliable business environment.
CSC Vietnam and GFSF desire to create a level
playing eld for Vietnamese agricutltural enterprises in
order to improve food quality, safety and hygiene in
Vietnam as well as boost food exports effectively.
Wish you a new year of 2016 lled with peace,
happiness & prosperity
Yours sincerely,
Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy
Newsletter 2015
GLOBAL FOOD SAFETY FORUM
Vietnam
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My - Chairperson/CEO, CSC Vietnam (center)
& Dr. Richard Gilmore - Chairman, GFSF (rst from right to left)
Vietnam
CSC Vietnam JSC
A: Level 16, ICON4Tower, 243ADe LaThanh St., Hanoi
P: (+84 4) 3736 8188
W: www.cscvietnam.com
Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy
Executive Director, GFSF/Vietnam
Huy.nguyen@cscvietnam.com
Ms. DinhThuy Hang
Coordinator, GFSF/Vietnam
Hang.dinh@cscvietnam.com
U.S
GIC Group
A: 1434 Duke StreetAlexandria, VA22314
P: +1 (703) 684-1366
W: www.gicgroup.com
Ms.Anne Sansbury
Administrator, GFSF
asansbury@gicgroup.com
Contact

2. U.S - The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has come to
terms with new rules for food
safety, which will apply to produce
farms and importable goods. This
measure was taken amid all the
outbreaks of food-related illnesses
that have been occurring across
the U.S in recent years.
The new set of rules goes by the
Food Safety Modernization Act,
w h i c h m a k e s i m p o r t e r s
responsible for meeting U.S food
safety standards and settles the
requirements for the production of
goods. The guidelines are meant,
as Taylor pointed out, to prevent
food-borne illnesses. Additionally,
the guidelines stipulate the
intervention of third parties who are
to review foreign food facilities.
As it is a preventive measure, the
FDA stated that these rules will
help prevent an issue before it
actually happens. The new
regulation system prioritizes that
companies adopt current good
manufacturing practices (CGMPs)
a n d e s t a b l i s h p r e v e n t i v e
measures, rather than retiring
products from the market after
 n d i n g o u t t h e p r o d u c t i s
damaging.
To help food industries with the
implementation of the new
preventive standards, the FDA
c r e a t e d t h e F o o d S a f e t y
Preventive Controls Alliance, a
partnership between different
institutions, such as state and
federal agencies, industries and
universities. (Source: International
Business Times, 2015)
FDA set stricter rules for food import
2 FEATURE NEWS
Source: International Business Times, 2015
Hanoi - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)
announced during a recent meeting in Hanoi that it plans to work with
relevant agencies to examine and ensure food safety, which it
identied as an urgent task.
Minister Cao Duc Phat said it was necessary to inform farmers of the
health impacts associated with using banned substances and
antibiotics, as well as the damage caused to farmers and enterprises,
he said. He urged localities to form safe food supply chains in big
cities like Hanoi and HCM City.
To tackle the issue of food safety violations, Phat said inspectors
should strictly handle any breaches of safety standards. A list of
production units that use banned substances will be publicised, he
said, adding that emphasis will be placed on the safety of meat and
vegetable products.
Food safety inspections in the rst nine months of the year showed
that the percentage of pesticide residue found in vegetables and
fruits was 10.3 per cent, compared to between 6 and 8 per cent
annually. Of the meat samples, 7.6 per cent surpassed allowable
levels in terms of antibiotic and substance residues, according to the
MARD. (Source: Vietnamnews, 2015)
Food safety goals outlined

3. Which advantages do you think
CSC Vietnam has to develop
GFSF Vietnam?
GFSF, headquartered in the U.S.,
is a non-prot food safety
organization, with over 400
m e m b e r s i n c l u d i n g
organizations/companies in the
agriculture and aquatic all over the
world. Dr. Rick Gilmore –
Chairman of GFSF, has served as
an advisor to White House/USAID
in various capacities, and a
trustee of international companies
and regulatory agencies in the U.S
and Canada. He was once a
Rockefeller Fellow and on the
Foundation Advisory Board,
Carnegie Endowment For
International Peace, etc.
GFSF has chosen CSC Vietnam
to be a strategic partner for its
activities in Vietnam. CSC
Vietnam is an investment
company, with agriculture as one
key focus. We are one major
shareholder of The PAN Group,
together with other international
nancial institutions including IFC
(Worldbank), GIC (Singapore),
SSI, TAEL Partners, NDH Invest,
Mutual Fund Elite, etc. which
share the vision of globally
s u s t a i n a b l e a g r i c u l t u r e
development. As the BOD
member of the PAN Group,
holding top agro rms in Vietnam
i n c l u d i n g N a t i o n a l S e e d
C o r p o r a t i o n , B i b i c a , B e n
TreAquatex, Lafooco, I believe
CSC Vietnam will be an ideal
connection for GFSF in Vietnam.
How do you and CSC Vietnam
expect this cooperation to bring
benets for agro & food
companies in Vietnam?
GFSF is a private-public platform
which will serve to work closely
with food, seafood and agricultural
companies and the public sector
in Vietnam to advance food safety
in Vietnam and raise standards
and practices of Vietnamese
companies to enhance export
value to meet the requirements of
such developed markets as the
U.S, Japan, Europe. Thereby, we
can increase export value,
mitigate risks arising from trade
disputes due to the quality and
food safety of product exports.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tra My
Chairperson/CEO, CSC Vietnam
3 EXPERT INTERVIEWS
Given the recent changes in
agricultural and aquatic
import polices by the U.S
government, what impacts do
you assess are on companies
in general and Vietnamese
companies in specic who are
exporting to the U.S?
The U.S Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is the lead
regulatory agency for food and
seafood imports to the U.S. As
such, their revised rules under
the Foreign Supplier Verication
Program are, in my estimation,
designed to integrate U.S food
safety standards into all phases
of the global supply chain for
imported product to the U.S.
These rules require verication
through documented testing and
s a m p l i n g r e s u l t s a n d
documentation of a foreign
supplier's relevant food safety
records.
For Vietnamese companies to
comply with U.S standards and
provide the requisite back-up
documentation, they will need to
introduce tighter phyto-sanitary
integrated systems in their
operations. In order to
document that the imported
product conforms to U.S
standards and that the supplier
is in good standing, Vietnamese
companies, like other foreign
suppliers, will need access to
new food safety technologies
offering cost-effective testing
and verication systems as well
as software management and
record-keeping systems.
Dr. Rick Gilmore
Chairman, GFSF

4. In some respects, suppliers are
likely to object to the initial capital
outlay for the necessary
upgrades but the pay-back will
be worth it due to resulting lower
frequency cargo rejections and
recalls which are prohibitively
e x p e n s i v e f o r s u p p l i e r s .
Vietnamese companies seeking
premium prices in the U.S market
already have come to appreciate
the value of compliance with
FSMA (the U.S Food Safety
ModernizationAct).
With greater compliance to meet
foreign regulatory standards, I
should think Vietnamese food
and seafood suppliers will also
be offering higher quality, safer
food for the Vietnamese
consumer. call that a win-win
scenario!
What are key factors you think
i n a g r i c u l t u r a l i m p o r t
c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h U . S
companies?
When selling to U.S importers,
Vietnamese suppliers will have
to satisfy the new regulations or
be liable and face possible law
suits. Importers offer only limited
protection to suppliers since the
new regulations ultimately trace
problems back to the origin and
then determine the respective
responsible parties for any
violations of FSMA. The new
regulations may actually serve to
enhance opportunities for
Vi e t n a m e s e s u p p l i e r s t o
undertake new direct sale
strategies into the U.S as well as
other foreign markets.
Compliance with FSMA from the
point of origin to delivery is the key
critical factor for any foreign
supplier to the U.S market. With
the advent of the Trans Pacic
Partnership Agreement, the
expectation is that there will be
g r e a t e r a n d i m p r o v e d
opportunities for enhanced
c o o p e r a t i o n a t b o t h t h e
commercial and policy levels.
Could you share the GFSF
activities in food safety and
companies support?
GFSF is a non-prot industry
organization. It offers a platform
for industry and the public sector
to collaborate to minimize risks
a n d d e v e l o p a r e l i a b l e ,
transparent food safety regulatory
and commercial environment. We
at GFSF have a singularly
pragmatic approach: identify the
problem; develop solutions in
consultation with all parties
involved; and work to ensure
that the solutions are put into
effect in the shortest time
p o s s i b l e . T h i s f o r m u l a
requires an awareness of
g l o b a l f o o d s a f e t y
requirements so we at GFSF
are offering e-courses with the
University of Maryland and the
World Bank for our members
at discounted prices. When it
comes to risk mitigation, we
are working with insurance
and re-insurance companies
to offer new products for food
safety liability and recall
contamination. We also strive
to provide opportunities for the
development of strategic
a l l i a n c e s b e t w e e n
V i e t n a m e s e a n d U . S
companies through our
events, delegation visits, and
expert technical assistance.
Dr. Rick Gilmore – Chairman, GFSF
4 EXPERT INTERVIEWS