Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phạm Khánh Phong Lan, director of the HCM City Food Safety Department. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Food Safety Department of Hồ Chí Minh City officially commenced operations on January 1, with high expectations as the country's first Food Safety Department.

To gain a deeper understanding of the advantages and challenges posed during the transition from the Food Safety Management Board to the Food Safety Department, the VNA spoke with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phạm Khánh Phong Lan, director of the HCM City Food Safety Department.

After nearly seven years of piloting this model, what achievements has the Food Safety Management Board of HCM City accomplished?

Food safety in HCM City has seen remarkable improvements in recent years, with various measures and indices evaluated. Firstly, we have a team dedicated to food safety management that regularly conducts inspections and checks to promptly detect and address violations. Secondly, the number of mass food poisoning incidents has decreased both in scale and the number of affected individuals. To achieve this, the Food Safety Management Board has focused extensively on preventive measures against food poisoning, especially in communal kitchens within schools and industrial catering services in companies and factories. Thirdly, there has been an increase in the supply and consumption of clean food through safe food chains and awareness of businesses engaged in production and distribution is also raised.

All these figures indicate an improvement in the city's food safety situation. However, I would still say there is much more to be done before we can claim it as the best.

What issues will the Food Safety Department of HCM City address that the previous Food Safety Management Board could not?

Previously, the Food Safety Management Board was established from three sectors – Health, Agriculture, and Industry and Trade – to create a comprehensive food management system down to the district, commune, ward and market levels. It comprised 10 food safety management teams that served as both inspectors and local liaisons to monitor and address issues.

However, during inspections, we faced many legal challenges. For instance, some entities questioned not whether we had the authority to penalise but whether we had the legal standing to do so. With the transition to the Food Safety Department, we will have a more solid legal foundation and undoubtedly receive more attention to strengthen our workforce and improve efficiency.

Moreover, we plan to integrate information technology into various projects, such as source tracing initiatives and safe food chains, to increasingly promote clean food and combat contaminated food.

Being the country's first Food Safety Department, can you share the pressures and difficulties you anticipate in the near future?

Certainly, there will be pressures, with the most significant coming from the community. However, these pressures will help train and enhance the skills of our specialists and officials. In the future, we aim to strengthen our connection with the media to provide timely information to the community.

As for the challenges we are currently facing, the most prominent is the shortage of personnel and human resources. We currently only have 10 food safety teams. These teams not only perform inspection duties but also conduct sample collection, monitoring, information dissemination and food poisoning response. According to the plan, each wholesale market should have a dedicated food safety team. However, currently, only Bình Điền and Hóc Môn markets have their own teams, while the Thủ Đức Agricultural Products Market has to share with the No.2 Food Safety Management Team.

When the department was established, we were assigned 468 personnel from three departments and sectors. Now, we only have 369. However, we are not requesting an increase in personnel and would rather maintain the previous staffing levels.

Furthermore, we recognise numerous challenges, with the most significant arising from the awareness of citizens and communities still accepting the use of unsafe food. The living conditions of many citizens are difficult, leading them to be content with cheaper street food. Therefore, I believe that food safety should be part of the collective consciousness, developing synchronously with the socio-economic situation.

What are the key tasks for 2024 of the Food Safety Department of HCM City, especially concerning ensuring food safety during the upcoming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday?

Despite the transition from the board to the department, we never have "free time" in our daily operations. This means that tasks are consistently ensured and maintained to guarantee the public's safety during Tết, preventing food poisoning incidents. We began the Tết food safety assurance work two months ago, establishing eleven inspection teams across all districts, towns and Thủ Đức City, including wholesale markets. Initially, our focus was on inspecting warehouses and places storing food ingredients. From now until Tết, we will concentrate on inspections at distribution points like wholesale markets and traditional markets. Alongside inspection work, we will conduct communication campaigns to raise awareness of producers, businesses, and consumers on food poisoning prevention.

In 2024, the department plans to elevate food safety management to a higher level. Specifically, we will continue to strengthen coordination and management collaboration with the departments of Agriculture and Rural Development in provinces, cities and HCM City to ensure the source of clean food. We will collaborate with sustainable food businesses to find outlets and stabilise the market in HCM City; imported food into the city must meet the stipulated standards. We will increase the supply of clean food and push back against contaminated food.

We aim to take the initiative in improving the traceability of food sources, applying advanced technology to production and distribution, aligning with the overall strategy of scientific and technological development.

Regarding inspection work, we will focus on the quality and effectiveness of inspections. I will strive to enhance irregular inspections and inspections based on information to ensure that all businesses and establishments are diligent in complying with regulations at all times and places.

We are currently holding a very important task for all three sectors: Health, Agriculture, and Industry and Trade. We hope to always receive the attention of leadership at all levels, from the community, and will make every effort to fulfil our mission. — VNS