HÀ NỘI — Small businesses should not sell low-quality food products that come from unclear sources, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said to fruit vendors in the capital’s Hoàn Kiếm District early this morning.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc paid an unexpected visit to the Long Biên wholesale vegetable market to inspect food safety early today.

He was accompanied by Deputy PM Vũ Đức Đam and leaders of the prime minister’s office, ministries and the People’s Committee of the city.

Visiting several fruit kiosks at the market, the PM said small businesses should avoid fruits and vegetables that were infused with pesticides and unsafe growth stimulants and those that were imported from unclear sources.

“The consumers’ health is of utmost importance,” he said.

“Our future lies in the community’s health and wellbeing,” the PM said. “Each and every one of us should be aware about maintaining food safety to protect our health.”

The PM paid great attention to locally-grown fruits, such as dragon fruit, ambarella and persimmon. He advised vendor owners to seek safe products with clear origin, especially those that were grown in the country.

The PM also visited Văn Đức Commune – a commune popular for growing safe vegetables in Gia Lâm District – and talked to local farmers.

In response to the PM’s inquiries, Đặng Văn Tới, a commune’s farmer, said all members of the Văn Đức clean vegetable cooperative were determined to stand against unqualified fertilizers and pesticides.

“We only buy fertilizers and microbiological plant protection products from the agency that has been certified by the food protection branch,” he said. “We eat the same vegetables that we grow and sell.”

The PM complimented the commitment of local farmers to growing clean vegetables. He also requested the district’s authorities, agricultural department and food protection branch to continue supporting farmers and supervising agencies that sell plant protection products.

He asked local authorities to support farmers in selling safe food products by creating consumption chains and reducing the intermediary stages so that the products would be more affordable and able to maintain the competitive edge.

After the visits, the PM held a work meeting on the food safety issue with the city’s People’s Committee.

At the meeting, the PM accepted the city’s proposal to form a rapid response force to handle the food safety problems. — VNS