Vietnam proposes a circular draft discerning the differences industrial and food-grade alcohol

On August 19, 2022, Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) released a draft circular on distinguishing food-grade and non-food-grade alcohol based on the national technical regulation for alcoholic beverage. The purpose of this circular is to prevent the use of non-food-grade alcohol in manufacturing alcoholic beverages. MOIT proposed the use of coloring agents, flavoring agents, and warning signs to make industrial and food-grade alcohol distinct.   

This circular is applied to organizations and individuals related to manufacturing, trading, and or using industrial alcohol in Vietnam.  

Industrial alcohol according to the definition of MOIT is ethanol (C2H5OH), consisting of harmful ingredients that does not meet the requirements for food-grade alcohol according to QCVN 6-3:2010/BYT, the national technical regulation for alcoholic beverages.  

The requirements of the coloring and flavoring agents adding to industrial alcohol:  

• Should not be listed in Decree 113/2017/ND-CP (implementation guidelines on licenses, classification, plans/measures for chemical incident, safety training, declaration) 

• Should not create chemical reactions with industrial alcohol and other substances in alcohol-containing mixture  

• Should not produce toxins affecting health  

• The solution after adding coloring agent must create distinctive color to differentiate from food-grade alcohol  

• The solution after adding flavoring agents must have horrible distinctive taste of industrial to differentiate from food-grade alcohol  

The information of added coloring and flavoring agents in the solution must be added on labels and safety data sheet. In the safety data sheet, industrial alcohol must be clearly stated as “do not drink”.  

The differentiation industrial and food-grade alcohol by using warning signs is guided according to the appendix of the circular draft before entering the market. 

The circular draft will receive comment until October 17, 2022.