Health worker collects food samples in Huong Pagoda (Photo: nld.com.vn)Hanoi (VNA) - Practical and specific measures are needed instead ofgeneral and vague directions from authorities to ensure clean production andfood safety.
The statement was made by National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hienduring a meeting held by the 14th National Assembly Inspection Committee withthe Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development(MARD), and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on the implementation offood safety policies and law from 2011 to 2016.
The inspection committee reported no cases of illegal documents and decreesbeing issued and praised authorities’ efforts in managing food safety.
However, Hien also said that despite ministries’ claims that food safety legaldocuments have been improved, various food safety issues have been a constantworry to the public, and he ordered ministries to consider modifying theadministrative violations law to make it more practical.
MARD said the agricultural produces’ food safety has improved. Agriculturalproducers observe food safety regulations more strictly, more ‘safe vegetables’farms are springing up and microbe and chemical contamination decreased, theMARD reports reads.
According to the MoH, from 2011 to 2016, 1,000 cases of food poisoning wererecorded, affecting 30,000 people, and resulting in 164 deaths. On average, 170food poisoning involving 5,000 people and 30 deaths take place every year.
Health ministry reports also point to high risks of poisoning in canteens ofindustrial parks, as evidenced by the number of mass poisoning cases occurringrecently.
Representatives from MoH and MARD blamed the food poisoning on rampant abuse ofchemicals, antibiotics and illegal additives in food production, cross-bordersmuggling of food and flawed use of food origin identification and qualitylabels.
According to the MoIT, during the same period, the ministry issued fines of 143.4billion VND (6.3 million USD) for 55,580 food safety violations cases.
An issue that the MoIT still hasn’t solved is the follow-up assessment ofproduction facilities after they are granted licences.-VNA
VNA
