HÀ NỘI – Hà Nội’s municipal Department of Industry and Trade is implementing a pilot project to enhance the management of fresh fruit stores in the downtown districts of the city.

The project is focussed on ensuring product quality, food hygiene and safety.

Accordingly, all products on the shelves must have their origins specified, while processed products must have adequate information about the processors, packagers, as well as food safety standards.

All stores must register their businesses by following the established regulations and ensure they have adequate facilities for the preservation of fruits.

The focus will be on individual business households, small-sized stores, vendors, wholesale markets and traditional markets, where the majority of fruits on the shelves are of unspecified origins, and which do not have adequate facilities for storage or preservation.

The department said that certificates would be granted to those who met the requirements.

Statistics have shown that only 30 per cent of the fruit stores in the capital city had preservation equipment, while 50 per cent had showcases.

In addition to these, most salespersons did not have proper knowledge about food safety.

According to Lê Hồng Thăng, Director of Hà Nội Department of Industry and Trade, the project would divide fresh fruit sellers into categories, such as supermarkets, wholesale markets and retail markets, and small shops and vendors.

The city authorities expect that by 2018, all fruits on the shop shelves must have their origins specified, while ensuring quality and food safety. -VNS