HCM CITY — All 32 Co.opmart and Co.opXtra hypermarket outlets in HCM City on August 15 received “safe food supply chain” certificates from the Food Safety Management Board of HCM City.

They are the first supermarkets in the city to obtain the certificate.

In addition, a Fresh Food Distribution Centre in Bình Dương Province, which is part of the same group as Co.opmart and Co.opXtra, also received the certificate at the ceremony held in HCM City.

Phạm Trung Kiên, deputy general director of Saigon Co.op, which runs the supermarkets, said Saigon Co.op joined the safe food supply chain to control food safety at all stages from production to distribution, ensure traceability and avoid banned substance residues to ensure consumers’ health.

Besides Saigon Co.op’s 33 units, there are also 21 suppliers of fruits and vegetables, animal and poultry meats and fishery and aquaculture products in the city’s safe food supply chain pilot model.

To join the chain, applicants must ensure control of their facilities and meet the various requirements set for membership of the supply chain.

They must also control the quality of products they distribute, ensure their traceability and that there are no chemical residues, not use chemicals that are not permitted, and control safety from the production to distribution stages.

Trần Quang Chánh, director of Phú Lộc Agriculture, Trading and Service Co-operative, said his co-operative has received approval for six products and has registered to participate in the programme with another 20 products in the following years.

Phạm Khánh Phong Lan, head of the Food Safety Management Board, said the programme especially needs the participation of modern retailers since the modern distribution system has an in-built quality control system.

She said the city has issued safe food supply chain certificates to 215 businesses and co-operatives, most of them from other provinces. — VNS