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Perfect Match

Enjoy the perfect match between European and Vietnamese food products

This website promotes European food and drinks in Vietnam.
Discover more about the different types of EU products and their merits, quality schemes and safety regulations, as well as opportunities for you to engage with European food and drinks and discover the "perfect match" between European and Vietnamese food products.

About the European Union (EU)

The EU is a political and economic union of 27 Member States with an estimated population of about 447 million citizens.

The EU has built a single market based on "four freedoms", enabling people, goods, services and capital to move freely between all EU Member States. The EU is the largest global trading block and the world’s biggest exporter of manufactured goods and services. The EU is the world’s largest single market (447 million consumers) with transparent rules and regulations and a secure legal investment framework. Shared standards ensure that the EU has a single approach to food and product safety.

Europe is deeply integrated into global markets and, as a hub of international trade and commerce, has widespread transport and communications links with the rest of the world. This makes it easy for European companies of every size to provide their goods across the globe – allowing people worldwide to enjoy the high quality of European food and drink products.

Agriculture in the EU

Agriculture is a vital element of the European economy and is an area where Member State governments have agreed to share responsibility to ensure sustainable production and a stable food supply at affordable prices for consumers.

Europe has some of the most stringent food safety standards in the world; they ensure that consumers have access to high-quality products and are able to make informed choices using EU-wide certified labelling schemes.

The EU and Vietnam

Food products from the EU are renowned world-wide for being safe, traceable and authentic. All European food businesses are upheld by the most stringent safety and quality standards. The authenticity of the products lies in the craftsmanship that has been perfected over the course of several centuries.

As part of adopting a trendier lifestyle, the Vietnamese have begun to develop a taste for foreign cuisine. Consumers are also becoming increasingly mindful of buying healthy and high-quality food products. The EU is responding to these trends with various activities that will bring EU food to the Vietnamese table, so to speak. These activities will whet the appetite for European products by demonstrating how consumers can use them in stand-alone dishes or tastefully integrate them in Vietnamese every day cooking.

The EU has planned seminars specifically for industry professionals like buyers, distributors, retailers and HoReCa representatives. The seminars will focus on the importance of EU food products in Vietnam and on the mutually beneficial trade relationship between the two parties. They intend to describe the existing safety and quality systems, confirming that EU food products are safe, traceable and of high quality.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) of August 2020 will lead to more business opportunities for both sides. There will be low or no tariffs in the next few years. EU food products will become more affordable and therefore easier to incorporate into the daily diet.

The agreement also protects traditional European and Vietnamese food and beverage products from being imitated. Currently, 169 European food and beverage products are recognised as Geographical Indications (GI).

What is the added value of European food and drink products?

European gastronomy has been perfected by farmers and producers over centuries, founded on cutting-edge methods and standards of food production. The use of pesticides, herbicides, additives, flavourings or enzymes is highly regulated in Europe to ensure the best quality food and drinks. The EU holds its products to this high standard in order to match, and even inspire, the tastes of consumers all over the world.

Safety

European food is about more than taste. There are strict health and safety standards in place all along the supply chain – from the field to the market – covering everything from pesticides to packaging. This means that consumers are protected and can enjoy European food products with peace of mind.

Authenticity

Centuries of tradition and know-how, handed down from generation to generation, give European food its own authentic flavor. These tastes can be traced back to the wide variety of soils, climates and cultures in Europe. Products we all recognise and enjoy are tied to these origins and cannot be reproduced elsewhere. The EU’s wide assortment of food and drink products complement a healthy diet for every palate, whatever your dietary restrictions, needs or preferences.

High-Quality

The high quality of European food and drinks is guaranteed by the stringent production standards and quality controls that are in place from farm to fork. This quality is reinforced by best practices in farming, cutting-edge production procedures, processing methods and standards, and the know-how gained over centuries of food production. The high quality of European food and drink is attested to by a number of special labels.

But don’t take our word for it – taste Europe for yourself!

Affordability

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will create more business opportunities. The elimination of 99% of all tariffs will enable higher gains for food professionals. The European products will become more competitive, more affordable and easier to include in daily cooking.

The 3 Quality Labels of EU food products

EU quality policy aims to protect the names of specific products to promote their unique characteristics, which are linked to their geographical origin and traditional know-how. Product names can be granted with a "geographical indication" (GI) if they have a specific link to the place where they are made. GI recognition enables consumers to trust and distinguish quality products while also helping producers to market their products better.

Protected designation
of origin (PDO)

Product names registered as PDO are those that have the strongest links to the place in which they are made.


Specifications

Every part of the production, processing and preparation process must take place in the specific region.

For wines, this means that the grapes have to come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is made.

Example

Kalamata olive oil PDO is entirely produced in the region of Kalamata in Greece, using olive varieties from that area.

Protected geographical
indication (PGI)

PGI emphasises the relationship between the specific geographic region and the name of the product, where a particular quality, reputation or other characteristic is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

Specifications

For most products, at least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the region.

In the case of wine, this means that at least 85% of the grapes used come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is actually made.

Example

Westfälischer Knochenschinken PGI ham is produced in Westphalia using age-old techniques, but the meat used does not originate exclusively from animals born and reared in that specific region of Germany.

Organic Label
 

The EU organic label guarantees that agricultural products and foodstuffs have been produced as naturally as possible, while minimising the impact on the environment. It also guarantees a high standard of animal welfare.

European legislation ensures all organic products go through several stages of controls before they get to your plate. From the farm to your fork, EU products with the organic leaf label have been produced, processed, handled and distributed in accordance with legislation, regardless of where in the EU they were produced.