HCM CITY — HCM City Department of Health has set up a hotline for the public to complain about food quality during Tết (Lunar New Year) as part of a campaign on food safety.

Officials at the department’s food safety and hygiene division would be on duty during the holiday and take calls at 08.39301714 about low-quality food and counterfeit goods and incidents of food poisoning, Nguyễn Thị Huỳnh Mai, deputy head of the division, said.

Speaking at a programme called “Lắng nghe và trao đổi’ (Hearing and Discussing) held by the city People’s Council and HCM City Television (HTV) on Sunday, she said during the campaign department inspectors would focus on foods and foodstuffs commonly consumed during Tết such as confectionery, alcohol, fresh meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.

Since demand for food and foodstuffs soar during the country’s biggest holiday, inspections would be stepped up to prevent unsafe foods and counterfeit goods entering the market, she said.

Nguyễn Văn Bách, deputy head of the city market management division, said the public can call his office hotline (08.39256875) to report counterfeit goods and unsafe foods.

Trương Thị Ánh, deputy chairwoman of the People’s Council, said authorities want to ensure that the quality of food consumed during the holiday is of good quality.

Goods suppliers for Tết

Companies taking part in the city’s the price stabilisation programme have stockpiled sufficient quantities of goods to ensure prices remain steady before and after the New Year holidays, Nguyễn Huỳnh Trang, deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, said.

Many products such as fresh meat and poultry would see prices cut in the run-up to Tết, she said.

A Vissan Company spokesperson said that the company would supply 3,200 tonnes of fresh meat and 3,000 tonnes of processed foods to meet the surging demand during the New Year.

Vissan would cut the prices of pork five days before Tết, he said.

Phạm Thị Huân, director of Ba Huân Co. Ltd., said in addition to its major product, fresh eggs, the company also plans to supply 500 tonnes of poultry.

Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, deputy chairman of the city’s People’s Committee, said that with the positive feedback received on a new system to trace the origin of pork from the farms to the market, the city would also introduce similar systems for other fresh meats, eggs and vegetables.

With a new application dedicated to tracking the origins of products, the public can easily access safe products of high quality, he added. — VNS