In global trade, even a minor mistake is enough for Vietnamese agricultural products to lose both market access and reputation.

One small detail, the price of an entire shipment

In April 2026, a 13.5-ton shipment of canned pineapple from Vietnam was seized and banned from circulation by Polish authorities. Notably, the product did not violate food safety in the conventional sense—it was not contaminated or spoiled. The entire cause stemmed from errors on the labels: ingredient information was recorded inaccurately, and the expiration date did not comply with regulations.

Shortly before that, shipments of coconut milk and dried mango from Vietnam were also banned in this market for the same reason. Three different products, but they shared the same "bottleneck": labeling errors.

This issue is not limited to Europe; seemingly tiny mistakes have previously caused difficulties for Vietnamese agricultural products in other markets. A few years ago, the first shipment of longans exported to Australia was halted at customs simply because it failed to meet packaging standards, despite the regulations being clearly published. Requirements such as vent hole size, mesh thickness, or sealing methods are highly detailed technical points, yet they are decisive in whether goods are permitted for import.

In international trade, labels, packaging, and packing specifications are no longer secondary factors. They are an integral part of product quality and safety standards. In demanding markets, all information on a label is considered a legal commitment. Any deviation, however small, can result in the product being deemed non-compliant and removed from the market.

However, in traditional approaches, many Vietnamese enterprises still view labeling as a final, formalistic step. This mindset is becoming a "fatal weakness," leading to numerous shipments being returned or destroyed, resulting in heavy financial losses and damage to reputation.

Increasingly strict standards: Businesses are forced to change

Beyond the story of labeling, the international trade environment is changing rapidly with the rise of technical barriers and green standards. Major markets no longer just demand quality and price; they impose strict criteria on traceability, carbon emissions, circular economy, and social responsibility.

The European Union (EU) is a prime example. Beside rigorous food safety regulations, the EU is implementing a series of new policies related to packaging, the environment, and chemicals. Regarding labeling and information, regulations dictate that by August 12, 2028, at the latest, all packaging must feature waste classification labels according to unified EU standards to guide consumers in sorting waste. By January 2030, packaging must print identification information for substances of concern. This is not just a technical requirement, but a criterion for evaluating the sustainability of a product.

Notably, the EU is shifting its approach in controlling pesticide residues from "risk assessment" to "hazard assessment." Accordingly, if an active ingredient is assessed as having a risk to health or the environment, the maximum residue limit (MRL) can be lowered to extremely low levels, or even near zero. This means that the margin for error has almost vanished.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quy Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), in a context of tightening standards, quality control must begin at the raw material area. Businesses need to clearly understand production processes, the types of chemicals used, isolation periods, and the allowed residue levels for each market. "We cannot wait until the goods reach the border gate to handle it. If we don't control it from the start, risks are inevitable," Mr. Duong emphasized.

Vietnam is currently one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, with many commodities achieving high turnover. However, with opportunities comes increasing pressure from import markets.

A positive signal in 2025 was that the number of EU warnings against Vietnamese agricultural products decreased by nearly 50%, from 114 warnings in 2024 down to 60. However, this does not mean risks have lessened, as regulations are continuously updated and tightened.

Speaking with Cong Thuong Newspaper, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thuong Lang (Institute of International Trade and Economics, National Economics University) stated that the biggest weakness of Vietnamese enterprises today lies not in product quality, but in governance systems and production organization. Small mistakes, like a line of text on a label or a detail in packaging, can become major barriers on the journey of integration.

As export market standards rise and the market becomes more demanding, meticulousness in every detail is no longer an option. It is a mandatory condition for Vietnamese agricultural products to go far and go sustainably.

In the EU, food labeling is a part of consumer safety regulations, carrying value equivalent to product quality. Every ingredient, even minor additives, must be fully declared to ensure transparency and health safety. A simple error, such as a missing additive or an incorrectly written expiration date, can result in the product being deemed a violation and leads to the shipment being sealed, recalled, or destroyed in its entirety.

Source: Bao Cong Thuong