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| Inspectors check food safety and hygiene in a market in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo |
Viet Nam News
HCM CITY — Food-safety inspection teams, which have been piloted in five districts, will be established in all districts’ wards and communes, according to Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, deputy head of the HCM City’s health department.
Five pilot teams are now working in districts 3, 5, Bình Tân, Bình Chánh and Hóc Môn.
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc approved the expansion after a food-safety inspection and meeting with city authorities early this month.
The city started the pilot programme last November under the PM’s Decision 38.
In each of the five pilot districts, a food-safety inspectorate was set up in two communes and wards. HCM City and Hà Nội were chosen to carry out the pilot programme.
At a meeting on this issue in District 3, which is one of five districts carrying out the pilot programme held on Wednesday, Hưng also told inspectors in charge of food safety management at wards and communes to impose strict fines to prevent further violations.
Dr Nguyễn Thái, head of the inspectorate in District 3, said that they had inspected 489 food trade and production facilities. At least 296 violations were found, and fines totalled VNĐ1 billion (US$45,000).
They also took 47 food samples for testing, with 27 finding substandard.
In the past, district inspectors conducted three inspections each year, Thái said, adding that they inspected twice a week under the pilot programme.
Thái said that finding the origin of food was difficult because most food was brought from neighbouring areas near HCM City.
Co-operation between the district and area authorities has been insufficient, he said. — VNS
