Participants share ideas for sustainability and better food safety management at the Vietnam food and beverage forum 2019 in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Actions for sustainability and better food safety management were highlighted at the Vietnam food and beverage forum 2019 in Hà Nội on Monday.

The forum concentrated on opportunities and challenges facing the F&B industry in Việt Nam from many different perspectives, as well as sharing international practices towards sustainable goals in business and food safety management in Việt Nam.

The forum covered understandings on the circular economy, where Việt Nam is and how the industry and country moves forward with policy, business strategy, technology, and PPP to promote plastics recycling and sustainable packaging.

Participants also shared international good practices on waste management and recycling, holistic whole value-chain solutions for packaging circularity, initiatives from fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries implementing sustainable “life cycle” for packaging in the food and beverage sector.

Mary Tarnowka, Executive Director of AmCham Vietnam-HCMC said as Việt Nam’s population continues to surge, with rising incomes, purchasing power, and demand for new food and beverage markets, the issues of sustainability and food safety management standards are critically important.

"It is our hope that today’s discussion and knowledge-sharing will promote improved regulations based on sound science in line with international standards that ensure safe food and beverage products for Vietnamese consumers and sustainability of economic growth. Such standards also help facilitate Việt Nam’s rapidly increasing food and beverage exports,” Tarnowka said.

Nguyễn Hoàng Linh, Deputy Director General, Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, Ministry of Science and Technology appreciated the initiative to have an annual forum of the food and beverage industry. That will be a link between state management agencies, businesses and researchers to discuss policies, regulations, standards, business environment, production and sustainable development of this important industry.

Becoming a partner of AmCham, Linh emphasised the importance to improve State regulations on standards and quality to create favourable conditions for production and business activities, promoting Việt Nam’s economic development and integration into the international economy. — VNS