Food and beverage packaging: designed right from the start

Food and beverage packaging is not just a protective layer for the product. It is a mobile legal document: a single incorrect mandatory information item can lead to product recalls or failure to pass the distributor's control gate. This page helps you understand what needs to be designed, what the law requires, and what should be prepared before working with any design unit.

What is food and beverage packaging

This is a group of packaging designed uniformly from structure, materials to label graphics. This group is dedicated to consumer products in the food and beverage (F&B) sector. The dual goal is to protect the product throughout its journey from the factory to the consumer's hands while fully complying with Vietnam's labeling regulations.

Common structures in the industry include:

• Stand-up pouch with a resealable zipper: commonly used for snacks, spices, cereals, and tea.
• Three-side seal pouch or pillow pack: popular for single servings of 10 to 30 grams.
• Folding paper box: used for cakes, flour, breakfast cereals, and as gift packaging for Tet and Mid-Autumn Festival.
• Metal tin boxes: premium cakes, gift tea, products that need long-term preservation.
• PET plastic bottles (polyethylene terephthalate, clear and impact-resistant plastic): for beverages, juices, liquid seasonings, typically ranging from 350ml to 500ml.
• 330ml aluminum can: soft drinks, beer, energy drinks, fruit juices.
• Tetra Pak sterilized paper box 200ml to 250ml: milk, juice stored at room temperature.

The composite laminate material (laminate, multi-layer combinations) is the primary choice for dry food due to its moisture and gas barrier properties and ability to seal tightly. A disadvantage to note is that laminates are harder to recycle than single paper. The print color must also be tested on the actual material, as colors on the laminate differ from those on standard paper.

When to choose, when not to

Food and beverage packaging is suitable for you if you fall into one of the following cases. You are producing processed food or beverages that need to be placed on retail shelves. The product is in the self-declaration process according to Decree 15/2018 (applied following Resolution 15/2026/NQ-CP). You are launching multiple SKUs simultaneously and need a consistent identity system. Products tied to seasonal events like Tet or Mid-Autumn Festival need early design locking. Or products aimed at export need to comply with target market regulations.

You should not invest in full F&B packaging design in three cases. You only need temporary labels to test the market with a very small batch. The product formula is not stable. Or the product does not belong to the food or beverage category.

Labeling laws and advertising take precedence

Before the first draft, you should create a list of mandatory content on the label according to the product type. Decree 37/2026/NĐ-CP on goods labeling replaces Decree 43/2017 and Decree 111/2021 from January 23, 2026, stipulating required content such as product name, responsible organization, origin, and specific content for each product type. The area for this content should be marked on the actual packaging mold, in a readable font size, before laying out the branding section. Mandatory elements squeezed in at the end often lead to smaller text, disrupting the layout, or necessitating a complete reprint.

The list of prohibited statements must be established from the beginning. The 2012 Advertising Law (amended by Law 75/2025/QH15) and industry-specific documents prohibit or limit certain claims, such as claims suggesting medicinal benefits for non-drug products. Labels must match the product declaration file. For certain categories like health supplements, advertising claims must be verified by the competent authority before use. You should ask the person preparing the declaration file whether your product category requires verification and if relabeling necessitates a new declaration, then incorporate that timeline into your project schedule. Exports must comply with the labeling laws of the importing country. Legal documents change over time, so each project needs to check the current effective version. This is professional advice, not a legal opinion: if there are real risks, consult a lawyer or the person preparing the declaration file to review the final document.

Time and printing quantity

The cost of F&B packaging design increases with the complexity of the structure, the number of SKUs, and compliance requirements. Simple packaging like bottle labels or single-layer pouches has fewer items compared to multi-layer folding boxes with trays or gift tin boxes.

The time from the brief to the final print file depends on the number of revision rounds and the time required for legal content approval. For products tied to seasonal events like Tet and Mid-Autumn Festival, design should start several months earlier than the planned printing deadline, as these timelines cannot be shortened arbitrarily.

Regarding print quantity: each structure and material has its own minimum economic quantity threshold as reported by the printer at the time. Sinh Vũ does not guarantee printing prices and does not represent the printer. You should request the correct technical file to get quotes from printers directly and compare.

Important technical note: folding paper boxes require a dieline (cut and fold drawing according to the specific printer), with a 3mm bleed and a 5mm safety area. Missing this step, a beautifully designed file on screen may still be cut incorrectly in the workshop.

What you need to prepare to get started

To enable the designer to develop a suitable structural and graphic proposal from the very first meeting, please prepare the following information:

• List of SKUs: how many products, how many specifications of weight or volume.
• Legal product information: official product name, ingredients, quantity, expiration date, name and address of the responsible entity, storage instructions. This is mandatory content according to Decree 37/2026/ND-CP, along with specific content for the type of goods.
• Nutritional information table (if available): energy, protein, carbohydrates, fats, sodium, and additional indicators according to Circular 29/2023/TT-BYT. If not available, samples need to be sent for testing at the designated lab before finalizing the label.
• Product declaration documents and any intended wording for the packaging, to cross-reference the labels with the documents.
• Projected distribution channels: retail supermarkets, e-commerce platforms, exports, or horeca channels (restaurants, hotels). Supermarket channels require EAN-13 barcodes and regional information based on the shelf height of each chain.
• Target market: domestic or export. Exports to the US require an English nutrition information panel (Nutrition Facts) according to FDA regulations. Exports to the EU need to highlight allergen information and recycling codes. Exports to China through the General Administration of Customs (GACC) require separate registration; approval times vary, so legal experts should confirm based on the timing.
• The timeline needed for the print file, to provide early warnings if the deadline is too close to the actual workload.
• Existing identity assets: vector logo, color palette, typography if available. If there is no brand yet, you need to consider adding an identity development item before moving to the packaging phase.

Once you have prepared the above information, you can send the brief to your chosen design unit, or do it internally if your team is familiar with labeling laws and printing specifications.

This article is for reference. The scope, pricing, and specific commitments of Sinh Vũ are detailed in the proposal and signed contract.