The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development officially announced addresses of 69 stores nation-wide certified for providing food products that meet safety requirements. — Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development officially announced addresses of 69 stores nation-wide certified for providing food products that meet safety requirements.

The list of safe food outlets was released yesterday at a press conference held by MARD.

The move, part of the ministry’s programme “Địa chỉ xanh – Nông sản sạch” or Green outlets – Safe farm products, was expected to help sooth public fury on food hygiene and safety, which has overwhelmed the food market in recent years.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vũ Văn Tám said this was the first step taken by the ministry to introduce safe farming products and reliable suppliers to consumers.

He said he hoped the programme would raise consumer confidence on food safety, and encourage safe food production and distribution.

Nguyễn Như Tiệp, director of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Quality Management, said the list of 69 outlets was a small number among other safe manufacturing units. But MARD would continue to build more supply chains and conduct more inspections to certify products.

He said that by the end of this year, MARD expected to issue certifications to any provinces that proposed that their local food suppliers met all quality and hygiene requirements.

To meet this goal, the ministry will promote GAP and GMP processes and support the development of supply chains, Tiệp said.

Also during the press conference, the ministry announced Safe Farm Foods Week, which will be organised at the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture on Hoàng Quốc Việt Street in Hà Nội from today (May 6) to 12.

The event will feature about 100 stands displaying VietGAP-certified products or those produced under the food safety chain management from more than 40 co-operatives and agribusinesses across the country. VNS