Do not sell live chickens and ducks or slaughter poultry at the market?
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is soliciting comments on the draft Vietnamese Standard on food markets. It sets out technical requirements and assessment criteria for food markets to ensure food quality and safety at the market. This standard applies to food markets within the planning (except for floating markets on rivers) and related organizations and individuals.
Among the regulations, a notable issue is that the draft of the Ministry of Industry and Trade requires not to display unslaughtered live livestock and poultry at the market; not to slaughter livestock and poultry at the market.
In addition, the draft also has requirements for fire prevention and fighting, lighting systems, and environmental sanitation. Regarding market structure requirements, the draft stipulates: Food markets must be built solidly or semi-solidly, ensuring a minimum usage time of 5 years. In addition, the market must not be flooded or stagnant; and must not be affected by food safety from areas polluted with dust, toxic chemicals, or other sources of pollution, etc.
The draft of the Ministry of Industry and Trade also sets out requirements for facility owners and people directly processing and trading food at the market.
Accordingly, the owner of the facility and the person directly trading in food must have a health check and be issued a certificate of good health according to regulations.
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| Consultation on not selling live chickens and ducks in food markets. |
“For areas where diarrhea epidemics are circulating as announced by competent authorities, people directly trading in food must have their stool cultured (to find organisms in the stool that can cause digestive symptoms and diseases - PV) and have negative results for the causative agents of this diarrhea epidemic and bacteria such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid; the testing is carried out by medical facilities at district, county level and equivalent or higher,” the draft clearly stipulates.
For food businesses at markets, the draft of the Ministry of Industry and Trade requires signs clearly stating the name of the business item; full name, address, and contact phone number of the food business.
Food business establishments at the market must "be granted a certificate of eligibility to ensure food safety in processing and trading or have a commitment to the state management agency on food safety (according to regulations)"
For establishments trading in animal products, the draft requires that animal products for sale be stamped with slaughter control stamps and/or have quarantine certificates from veterinary agencies.
In addition, animal products must be displayed at least 70cm above the ground, the table top must be made of durable, waterproof, non-contaminating, non-corrosive materials, have a smooth surface, easy to clean and disinfect; and have equipment to prevent harmful insects and animals.
The draft of the Ministry of Industry and Trade also clearly states not to use toxic substances to preserve products; clean and disinfect equipment, tools for displaying, filtering and containing animal products before and after sale with clean water.
Vegetable and fruit businesses at the market must commit to the competent state agency not to spray, soak, or impregnate prohibited chemicals (not on the list of permitted chemicals according to regulations) to preserve vegetables and fruits; have equipment to display and sell vegetables and fruits in a hygienic manner to ensure quality and food safety; and not display vegetables and fruits on the market floor.
Speaking to reporters, Ms. Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that this standard is only for encouraging application. “It is necessary to clearly distinguish between regulations and standards. Standards are to encourage organizations and individuals to apply them. National regulations are to be issued and applied immediately, otherwise they will have to be closed,” explained a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Thus, the standards for food trading in traditional markets are only for encouragement, to ensure cleaner and safer business for consumers, not prohibiting the sale of meat, live chickens and not prohibiting the slaughter of livestock and poultry in the market. |
According to Vietnamnet
