Food RFQ Checklist for Vietnamese Suppliers, by Product Category
A good RFQ lets two suppliers quote the same product. State the product and target specification, first-order and annual volume, pack format, destination and Incoterm, the documents you need, the launch date and how samples will be approved. Then ask each supplier to mark every deviation from your brief.
Why does the RFQ decide the price comparison?
Quotations are only comparable when they answer the same question. If one supplier quotes a different recipe, moisture level, cut size, pack or Incoterm from another, the cheaper price may simply be a different product. A complete RFQ removes most of those differences before they reach the price.
Ask each supplier to do two things with your RFQ:
- Mark every deviation from the brief, line by line.
- Label each value as guaranteed (a contract limit), typical (what production usually achieves) or indicative (an estimate to be confirmed).
A value that cannot be confirmed is an open item, not a hidden inclusion.
What belongs in every food RFQ?
Every food RFQ needs the same twelve sections, whatever the product. The table lists what to state in each.
| Section | What to state |
|---|---|
| Product | Product, variant and intended use (retail, foodservice, ingredient) |
| Specification | Target values and tolerances for the parameters that matter to you, plus any limits required by your market |
| Volume | First order, annual forecast and order rhythm |
| Packaging | Retail, foodservice or bulk; material; net weight; units per carton; pallet pattern |
| Labels and artwork | Who owns the artwork, label languages, the importer or distributor details, intended claims |
| Destination | Country, port or warehouse, and the Incoterm you want quoted |
| Documents | Certificates, COA parameters, origin documents and any destination-specific certificates |
| Samples | Which samples you need, and how approval will be recorded |
| Timing | Target launch or delivery date, and whether the first order has a deadline |
| Commercial | Payment terms, price validity, currency |
| Regulatory roles | Importer of record, FSVP importer for the US, who is responsible for the label |
| Inspection | Pre-shipment inspection, third-party testing, arrival sampling |
What does each product category add?
The core RFQ is the same for every product; each category adds its own technical lines.
| Category | Add to the RFQ | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Soft dried fruit | Variety and cut; maximum added sugar and its basis; moisture and water activity; sulphite and preservative policy; colour and texture reference | Sugar options, sulphites, moisture and shelf life |
| IQF frozen fruit | Variety, maturity and Brix; cut dimensions and tolerances; additive status; microbiology and defect limits; storage and transport temperature | IQF mango specification, cold chain |
| Juice concentrate | Brix target and tolerance; acidity; pulp and seed content; aseptic or frozen pack; storage temperature and shelf-life statement | Brix and acidity, aseptic concentrate |
| Coffee | Species, origin and grade; screen size and moisture for green coffee; roast and grind for roasted coffee; valve and barrier for retail bags; cup reference | Green coffee, private label roasting |
| Aloe vera and other drinks | Aloe pulp percentage and cube size; Brix and sweetness; flavour and colour; bottle or can size and closure; label market and claims | Aloe vera drink development |
Which questions should you ask a new supplier?
Group your questions so the answers show whether the supplier can reproduce the product you approve, not only sell it once.
Production and scope
- Which facility produces my product, and is it the facility named on the certificates?
- Which certificates cover that facility and this product, and when do they expire?
- For the US: is the producing facility’s FDA registration current?
Specification and quality
- Is there a written specification with a revision date, and which values are guaranteed?
- Which parameters appear on each lot COA, with which methods? Which laboratory tests them?
- How is a lot defined, and can you trace a finished lot back to its raw material?
- Are retained samples kept, and for how long?
Capacity and timing
- What is the lead time from sample approval to shipment, and how does the season affect it?
- Can the facility cover the annual volume, not only the first order?
Commercial
- What are the minimums for bulk product, for stock packaging and for fully printed private label?
- How are samples handled and charged?
- What are the payment terms, and how long is the price valid?
Complaints and corrections
- How is a complaint investigated, and what evidence do you need?
- What is the time limit for claims, and how are corrective actions reported?
Documents and logistics
- Which documents come with each shipment, and who issues them?
- Which Incoterms do you quote, and from which port?
- How are reefer or dry containers arranged for this product?
How should you compare the quotations?
Put the offers side by side in one table with the same columns for every supplier: product specification (and deviations), packaging, minimum order, sample status, lead time, Incoterm and named place, documents included, payment terms and price. Price per kilogram only means something in that context — and only after the deviations are resolved.
Send us your RFQ
Use our request form and include as much of the checklist as you have; open points can be settled in the first reply. We confirm the production route, feasibility, documents and the quotation basis for each request. For the documents side, see export documents by product type; for samples and supplier checks, see samples, audits and COAs.
Send your specification
Share the product, target specification, pack format, volume and destination market. We confirm the production route, documents and quotation basis for your request.