Ensuring food safety and hygiene during the Mid-Autumn Festival 2025

Strengthen inspections and crack down on violations.

According to Decision No. 2788/QD-UBND on the establishment of an inter-agency inspection team to check compliance with food safety regulations during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2025, the inspection will take place from September 5, 2025 to October 6, 2025. The objective is to inspect and monitor the quality of food and products serving the holiday, with the participation of officials from the Department of Industry and Trade, the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Department of Health, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, the Provincial Police, etc.

Accordingly, the inspection team is tasked with inspecting, detecting, and handling any violations of food safety laws (if any); and simultaneously guiding compliance with regulations ensuring food safety in the production, processing, trading, import of food, and food service activities in Nghe An province. The subjects of inspection include: Food safety advisory and management agencies of wards and communes; and organizations and individuals involved in the production, processing, trading, import of food, and food service activities in the province.

Through timely inspections, violations of food safety regulations are detected, prevented, and handled, limiting food poisoning incidents and foodborne illnesses, thereby contributing to better public health care and protection. At the same time, serious action will be taken against business owners who violate regulations; if there are signs of criminal activity, the case will be transferred to the police for handling according to the law.

Ms. Phan Thi Hoa Tram, owner of Tram Cao mooncake production facility in Thanh Vinh ward, Nghe An province, stated: "Our facility has been producing mooncakes for many years. Throughout the production process, we always strive to ensure the safety of our ingredients, using fresh, clean materials that meet food safety standards. We maintain a clean production environment, preventing the intrusion of insects and harmful animals. We also remind our staff to follow production procedures, including checking ingredients, the production process, and the finished products. Our facility has signed a commitment to comply with food safety regulations, submitted samples for testing, and self-declared the quality of our mooncakes to the relevant state management agencies in accordance with the law."

Ms. Cao Thi Tam, a specialist in the Environmental Safety and Technology Department of the Department of Industry and Trade and a member of the inspection team, said: During the inspection, the team focused on reminding production facilities to train their staff to ensure they have a full understanding of food safety knowledge to practice correctly in the production, processing, and trading of food. Emphasis was placed on building internal quality control processes, especially controlling the quality of raw materials and implementing safe production procedures.

Regular monitoring and maintenance of food safety conditions throughout the production and business process are essential to ensure product quality and safety, and to comply with the regulations on self-declaration of products as prescribed by law. The inspection team also requested that establishments provide transparent information about their products, including ingredients, nutritional value, and usage instructions.

Focus on raising awareness through communication and signing pledges.

By September 25th, the inspection team had checked 14 food production and business establishments, including: 8 establishments producing and selling mooncakes and other types of cakes under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 2 food service establishments under the management of the Ministry of Health, and 4 establishments under the management of the Ministry of Agriculture.

As a result, two establishments were penalized for food safety violations, with fines totaling 16 million VND. Specifically: one establishment selling flour and baking ingredients violated regulations regarding its business area and food storage, lacking sufficient shelving, and was fined 12 million VND; and one food service establishment failed to comply with legal regulations on the three-step food inspection process, and was fined 4 million VND.

The inter-agency inspection team also inspected and provided guidance to six food safety steering committees in the wards and communes, including Thanh Vinh ward, Vinh Loc ward, and the communes of Tan Ky, Tan Phu, Con Cuong, and Mon Son.

Furthermore, in accordance with the directive of the Nghe An Provincial Market Management Department to strengthen inspection and control of goods during the Mid-Autumn Festival, on September 17, 2025, Market Management Team No. 7, in coordination with the Na Ngoi Commune People's Committee, the Commune Police, and the Na Ngoi Commune Border Guard, conducted inspections of businesses in the area. The inspection resulted in penalties for 4 businesses for trading goods of unknown origin, with a total fine of 7 million VND and the destruction of goods worth 2.28 million VND.

Mr. Phan Van Bay - Team 7 of the Market Management Department, said: "During the inspection process, we combined propaganda and signed commitments with production and business establishments to comply with legal regulations on goods trading and food safety; compliance with regulations on declaring standards, declaring conformity of products and regulations on product quality."

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Don, Deputy Head of the Market Management Department, Department of Industry and Trade, and Deputy Head of the inter-agency team, said: To ensure the health and safety of the people, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has established a Food Safety Inspection Team for the Mid-Autumn Festival 2025. Along with inspecting and monitoring businesses and production units in the area, the team focuses on propaganda work and signing commitments...

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When buying mooncakes and candies, consumers should choose reputable businesses, carefully check the product labels for complete information about the manufacturer, including address and origin; and ensure the expiration date is correct. Before eating, they should check the product visually for color, smell, taste, and other unusual signs.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Don - Deputy Head of the Market Management Department

Currently, authorities are strengthening their management of the area, coordinating with relevant agencies and local governments to inspect and control organizations and individuals producing and trading goods for the 2025 Mid-Autumn Festival. This aims to promptly detect and handle violations related to food safety, smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, intellectual property infringements, and goods of unknown origin, contributing to market stability and protecting the rights and interests of consumers in the assigned management area.