Laos Laos promulgates a regulation to control pre-packaged products

Laos promulgates a regulation to control pre-packaged products

The Ministry of Science and Trade, Lao PDR established the “Decision of the Minister on the Pre-packaged Products Management in Lao P.D.R No. 1572/MOST” on 27 November 2020. The decision prescribes policies, principles, rules, and measures for the pre-packaged products management and certification regarding the manufacture, import-export, and distribution in line with the ASEAN regional and international practice.

 

Scope

The decision targets a wide range of consumer pre-packaged products, including fresh foods, processed foods, seasoning products, beverages and liquors, cement, paints, ink or toners, fuels, fertilizers, cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos, detergents, tissue papers, etc. A pre-packaged product is defined as a product filled in any container that indicates its character and quantity on the label before trading. Manufacturers, importers, exporters, and suppliers of the target products shall comply with the requirements of the decision.

 

Requirements

Target pre-packaged products shall be registered prior to the trade. Additionally, the product shall pass the quality inspection and obtain a quality certification mark. A label in Lao language shall be affixed to the product. In case the label has information in a foreign language, the information shall be the same in the Lao language. The label shall have the following information:

    1. Name of the product;
    2. Name and location of the factory or company (manufacturer, packager, importer, or supplier);
    3. Quantity
    4. Manufacture date, month, and year
    5. Expiry date
    6. Instructions;
    7. Quantity, net weight, and volume;
    8. Ingredients and their concentration;
    9. Warning and;
    10. Quality certification mark.

 

The decision also requires the followings:

    • prepackage products concerning dimensions must be indicated in length;
    • Prepackage products concerning solid, gas, or solid with liquid must be indicated in mass;
    • Prepackage products concerning liquid must be indicated in volume;
    • Amount of products shall not exceed maximum permissible error prescribed in the decision;

Normal Quantity (Qn) in Gram (g) or Milliliter (ml)

Maximum Permissible Error

As % of Qn

g or ml

5~50

9.0

50~100

4.5

100~200

4.5

200~300

9.0

300~500

3.0

500~1000

15.0

1000~10000

1.5

10000~15000

150

15000~50000 1

 

The previous decision No. 0542/MOST established in 2017 was repealed by the above-mentioned new decision.

 

Download original text of the Decision at
http://www.laoofficialgazette.gov.la/kcfinder/upload/files/1572%E0%BA%81%E0%BA%A7%E0%BA%952020.pdf

Author / Responsibility

UMEYAMA Kenichi

Managing Director, Green & Blue Planet Solutions Co., Ltd.

Business Performance

Managing and leadding a variey of environmental projects in Thailand and SE Asia

Background

MSc in Envionmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand),
MSc in Environmental Science, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (the Netherlands)

UMEYAMA Kenichi