Ensuring food safety during the Mid-Autumn Festival

Food safety inspection team conducts a site inspection at a restaurant. Photo: NGOC DIEM

And the "old worries"

From September 9 to September 16, the interdisciplinary food safety inspection team chaired by the Department of Health conducted inspections in Dai Loc, Duy Xuyen districts and Hoi An city.

Facilities producing and trading confectionery, soft drinks, traditional products produced in craft villages, small-scale establishments, food service establishments, street food establishments, etc. are given priority for surprise food safety inspections during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Yen Tram, representative of Kieu Oanh cake production facility (Ai Nghia town, Dai Loc) said that through this food safety inspection, the provincial interdisciplinary inspection team pointed out the shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome. At the same time, thanks to the support of the team, the facility also gained a lot of experience and committed to doing well in ensuring food safety during the production and business process.

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Xuan, owner of Mot restaurant (150 Tran Phu, Hoi An city), after inspection, the restaurant basically meets some criteria of food safety regulations. However, there are still some notes for the restaurant to absorb and overcome in the best way to serve tourists.

“In the food service business, ensuring food safety is a top priority. We are forced to research and select raw materials, food... inputs that meet the best food safety criteria and conditions to serve customers,” said Mr. Nguyen Huu Xuan.

In addition to establishments that ensure food safety, inspections show that there are still many "old concerns" related to food safety issues, potentially affecting the health of consumers; food production and trading establishments in the area are mainly small-scale, household-scale, so full implementation of the conditions prescribed by law is still limited.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Cam - Head of the Provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Department said: "Through inspection, the delegation reminded and guided the establishments to fully implement the procedures related to food safety.

The delegation also promptly detected, prevented and handled violations of food safety during the Mid-Autumn Festival; contributed to preventing food poisoning and food-borne diseases; and rectified the operations of production and business establishments so that products reaching consumers are clean and safe.

Raising awareness

According to the recommendations of the provincial Food Safety Department, food production and trading establishments must fully comply with the regulations in production and trading regarding legal documents; human conditions as well as facilities and equipment must be suitable and in accordance with regulations. Comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Health in processing and practice to ensure that food poisoning and food-borne diseases do not occur.

Food safety inspection team conducts a field inspection at a grocery store. Photo: NGOC DIEM

Ms. Le Thi Hong Cam said that this year, the department has issued many documents, carried out propaganda activities, printed billboards, brochures, leaflets, organized training for production and business establishments under the management of the health sector, trained to improve the capacity of district level, village health workers... to raise awareness in food safety work.

“Currently, food products are increasingly diverse in types and designs; many food products have no clear origin; counterfeit, fake, and poor quality goods appear on the market, making the control process difficult. At the same time, the human resources for food safety management are still limited at the district and commune levels.

On the other hand, most civil servants hold multiple jobs. This causes many limitations in advising and implementing food safety activities, especially inspection activities.

Therefore, it is necessary to train, foster, and increase the number of staff working in food safety to strengthen inspection, supervision, reminders, and handling of food safety-related issues in the province," Ms. Cam shared.

To choose mooncake products that ensure health safety during this Mid-Autumn Festival, Ms. Cam recommends that consumers pay attention to the following criteria: The product must have a clear origin (with the name of the manufacturer, address of the place of production, instructions for use, preservation, etc.); the product must have the production date, expiry date and expiry date; the product must be sold at specific business locations, meeting the requirements for food business conditions such as having adequate equipment to cover to avoid dust, rain, sun, insects, and be preserved according to the regulations on the manufacturer's product label.

In addition, consumers need to use their senses to evaluate to ensure that the product is not crushed or deformed, the packaging is not torn, has no unusual color, is not rotten, moldy, damaged, and has no strange smell. Absolutely do not choose or buy products that are floating, have no origin, are expired, have torn packaging, are deformed, or are smuggled goods...

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/bao-dam-an-toan-thuc-pham-trong-dip-tet-trung-thu-3141191.html