Quang Nam acts for food safety

An interdisciplinary inspection team on food safety and hygiene inspected the kitchen area of ​​a business establishment in January 2025. Photo: XUAN HIEN

The theme of “Food Safety Action Month” this year emphasizes “Ensuring food safety, focusing on food safety in collective kitchens, catering services and street food”. This accurately reflects the prominent concerns of urban and rural life today.

Comprehensive action

Ms. Le Thi Hong Cam - Head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department said that the Provincial People's Committee requested that the activities in the action month be organized on a province-wide scale with the participation of the entire political system. The focus of the action month is on 3 main spearheads: Communication - inspection - handling.

This year’s communication campaign was deployed synchronously from the province to the commune and ward levels. Local loudspeaker systems, newspapers and television were mobilized to spread knowledge about food safety, warn of the harmful effects of fake and poor quality food and commend typical models and individuals in the production and trading of safe food.

In addition, Quang Nam established 3 provincial inspection teams to ensure local food safety, regulate the responsibilities of district and commune-level authorities in managing food production and trading establishments in the area; conduct on-site inspections at food production, trading and advertising establishments. The interdisciplinary inspection teams will visit production and trading establishments, food services, traditional markets, school kitchens, etc. to review and promptly handle violations.

According to preliminary statistics from the Quang Nam Food Safety and Hygiene Department, in 2024, the province inspected more than 4,300 food-related establishments. Some establishments violated common errors including: Using ingredients of unknown origin, unsanitary conditions, violating labeling regulations, false advertising of uses...

Towards sustainable safety

At the meeting of the Central Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety, the Ministry of Health said that food safety inspection, examination, and post-inspection work only partially meets practical requirements.

Head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department - Le Thi Hong Cam (inside) inspects the processing area of ​​a food business establishment in Tam Ky City in January 2025. Photo: XUAN HIEN

Along with the strong development of information technology, e-commerce, online business, the characteristics of this type of business are no fixed business location, anonymity, and unreal name. This causes many difficulties in controlling the origin and quality of products.

During the Lunar New Year and the 2025 Spring Festival season, the Quang Nam Provincial Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety established 181 inspection teams; including 3 provincial-level teams, 13 district-level teams and 165 commune-level teams.

The delegations conducted inspections at food production and trading establishments, catering services and collective kitchens, promptly detecting and handling food safety violations.

This month of action is an opportunity to review the entire system, listen to people's feedback and tighten discipline in enforcing food safety laws in localities.

The provincial Department of Food Safety and Hygiene has organized training courses on food safety knowledge for food service establishments and collective kitchens to raise awareness and sense of responsibility of establishment owners and those directly involved in food processing and trading.

Along with inspection and handling, Quang Nam also focuses on creative communication and connection with local culture. Many localities have promoted traditional products such as Cua Khe fish sauce, Tra Que vegetables, and Hoi An rice cakes as models of safe food production and processing associated with local culture. Some typical models that are being spread are "Tam Ky Safe Food Market", "Tien Phuoc District Clean Production Linkage Group" and the safe vegetable supply chain in Dai Loc. These models not only serve the needs of the province but are also connected with large supermarket systems in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/quang-nam-hanh-dong-vi-an-toan-thuc-pham-3153255.html