20-Point Checklist for Choosing a Food Factory in Vietnam

Short answer: Use these 20 questions to compare factories on the same basis. Cover five areas: fit, quality system, capacity and cost, compliance and export, and the relationship. A factory that answers clearly, shows documents and is honest about its limits is usually a better partner than one that says yes to everything. Ask for evidence, not promises.

A. Fit

1. Does the factory already make products like yours? Ask for a list of product types, not just brand names.
2. Which pack formats and sizes can it run? Match to your intended format.
3. Which markets does it export to? Experience with your country’s buyers means fewer surprises with documents.
4. Does it work with small and mid-size brands? Some prioritise very large accounts.

B. Quality system

5. Which certifications does it hold, with scope and expiry date? See certifications compared.
6. Can it share a recent third-party or customer audit summary?
7. What does incoming raw material inspection look like? Supplier approval, certificates of analysis, rejection records.
8. Is there traceability from raw material lot to finished product? Ask them to demonstrate it on a past batch.
9. How is allergen control handled? Separate lines, cleaning validation, labelling.
10. What foreign-matter controls exist? Sieves, metal detectors, X-ray where relevant.
11. Is there an in-house or contracted lab? Which tests (moisture, microbiology, residues) run in-house?

C. Capacity and cost

12. What is the MOQ per SKU and per pack format? See low MOQ guide.
13. What is the real lead time from approved sample to shipment, including packaging?
14. Does the quotation break down product, packaging, labelling, palletising, and testing?
15. How does the factory handle raw material price swings? Agricultural prices change: ask how and when price adjustments apply.

D. Compliance and export

16. Does it hold the registrations needed for your market? For example FDA facility registration for the US, or approved-establishment status for animal-origin products in the EU.
17. Can it supply the export documents you need: certificates of origin, health certificates where relevant, analysis certificates, packing lists?

E. The relationship

18. Who owns the recipe and tooling, and what does the NDA say?
19. Are the people you talk to responsive, specific and open about problems? Slow, vague answers at the quotation stage rarely improve later.
20. What happens when a batch fails? A clear process for rejects, rework and compensation should be in the contract.

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Red flags

• Refuses to show any certificate or audit summary, or the certificate scope does not match the product.
• Says “yes” to every request without asking questions about your specification.
• Very low price with vague ingredient information.
• No way to verify identity: no company registration, no site address, no named contact.
• Pressure to pay a large deposit before samples are approved.

How to use this list

Score each factory 0–2 per question, then compare totals, but treat 5, 8, 16 and 20 as pass or fail for most products. If you want help, we ask factories these questions on your behalf and share the answers. We do not publish factory contact details; introductions go through us.

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Read the full OEM guide for the rest of the process.