Cosmetic products listed for sale on the website of Minh Khương Trading Co., Ltd. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Drug Administration of Việt Nam under the Ministry of Health ordered the nationwide recall and destruction of 13 batches of cosmetics due to misleading labels suggesting they were pharmaceutical products.

The move aims to protect consumer safety and ensure compliance with regulations.

In an official dispatch sent to provincial and municipal health departments, the administration announced the suspension, recall, and destruction of eight batches of facial cleansers and skincare products under the brands Image and Image Skincare, distributed by Minh Khương Trading Co., Ltd and manufactured by Image International Manufacturing, LLC.

These products were found to have labelling inconsistencies. The listed ingredients on the primary label did not match the registered product information.

Additionally, five more cosmetic product batches introduced to the market by Minh Khương Trading Co.,Ltd were also recalled for using language that could mislead consumers into believing the items were medicines.

The administration requested all local health departments to inform cosmetic businesses and users in their areas to immediately cease distribution and use of the affected products and return them to suppliers. Relevant agencies must oversee the recall process and handle violations in accordance with current regulations.

Minh Khương Trading Co., Ltd is required to notify all distributors and users of the recall, accept returned products and proceed with removing all non-compliant batches from the market.

For the five product batches with drug-like labelling, if the misleading elements cannot be separated from the product, the company must destroy the products in accordance with Article 67, Clause 7 of Decree No 117/2020/NĐ-CP.

The administration also instructed all relevant parties to review the labelling of other imported batches of the same product lines. If similar violations are detected, the company must promptly issue a recall and report the results of this review to the administration by July 29, 2025.

The administration stressed that Minh Khương Trading Co., Ltd. will be held fully accountable under the law for any false or dishonest reporting.

The HCM City’s Department of Health has been assigned to oversee the company’s recall of the five non-compliant cosmetic products and report the results to the administration by August 29, 2025. — VNS