Check food safety and hygiene during "hot" times
(Baonghean.vn) In the last months of the year, in preparation for the upcoming New Year and Lunar New Year, the demand for food increases sharply, therefore, in the implementation plan for inspection and post-inspection of food safety and hygiene (FSH) of the province, during this time, the focus will be on food production and trading establishments and the advertising of products fortified with micronutrients.
(Baonghean.vn) In the last months of the year, in preparation for the upcoming New Year and Lunar New Year, the demand for food increases sharply, therefore, in the implementation plan for inspection and post-inspection of food safety and hygiene (FSH) of the province, during this time, the focus will be on food production and trading establishments and the advertising of products fortified with micronutrients.
Recently, the year-end cross-inspection work between the food safety sub-departments of provinces and cities across the country has also been carried out. The inspection team of Lai Chau province has carried out this work in Nghe An. The inspection results show that, in terms of implementing activities, our province achieved a score of 96/100, which is quite high. The team has made specific assessments on the direction and issuance of documents on food safety; activities: organizing staff and training, propaganda and education, granting certificates of food safety eligibility, announcing product standards and advertising products; monitoring, investigating and reporting food poisoning cases. In the first 10 months of the year, there were 7 cases of poisoning with 46 people infected, no deaths (in the same period last year there were 5 cases, 19 people infected, 2 deaths), thus, the food poisoning situation is still complicated.
Food products with clear origin at supermarkets are the choice of many consumers.
The delegation also seriously assessed the shortcomings and limitations in inter-sectoral coordination in ensuring food safety and hygiene, in the constant food risks in the environment, food ingredients, production, processing and business processes; food safety management activities are not regular and continuous; the awareness of owners of high-risk food production and processing establishments is not good; violations of establishments are concentrated in mountainous and remote areas, where the knowledge of traders and consumers is limited.
On the other hand, the physical conditions of business establishments are temporary and not fixed, especially street food establishments; the staff in charge of food safety inspection and testing are still lacking, they have to do many jobs concurrently and lack facilities and equipment for inspection work; due to the fragmentation and small scale of production establishments, the situation of stopping production, changing locations... limits and causes difficulties for management; the sanctions for violations are still light so they are not enough to deter... The delegation also suggested that localities have a mechanism for close coordination between relevant departments, branches and sectors to promote communication work, increase investment levels in food safety career budgets.
Identifying key tasks in the last months of the year, the Food Safety Department has advised the Provincial Food Safety Board and the Department of Health to issue documents directing the grassroots on food safety work. During this time, the amount of food has increased dramatically, especially sausages, Chinese sausages, spring rolls, wine, beer, etc. Therefore, for food establishments, priority will be given to post-inspection of food groups such as meat and meat products, eggs and egg products; seafood, vegetables, tubers, fruits, cereals, raw fresh milk, micronutrient-fortified foods, bottled drinking water, pre-packaged foods, ready-to-eat foods, etc. The announcement of product standards, labeling, conditions for ensuring food safety in production, business, and quality of those products will be inspected. In addition, for food establishments and services, the processing and preservation processes, the origin of additives, sample storage, and water source testing will be checked. For management, inspection and examination agencies at district level, receiving and reviewing product standard dossiers, conformity declarations...
Identifying communication as a leading and important factor, the Food Safety Department has increased small group seminars and relied on the participation of mass media agencies. Inspection work is also identified as a regular activity, because through this activity, it is also a way to propagate and guide producers and traders to clearly understand their responsibilities, guide them on the newly issued Food Safety Law, remind and monitor the activities of the establishments. In case of violations, they will be strictly punished.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Dao Trong Dung - Head of the Provincial Food Safety Department, said: The good news when checking a number of business establishments, especially the 4 large supermarkets in Vinh City, Metro, Intimex, Marximax, Big C, all showed efforts to meet the needs of the sudden increase in customers at the end of the year. The supermarkets all stocked goods and kept prices to help stabilize the market. A typical example is Metro, a newly opened supermarket that has built a "brand" for food products. This is also the place that provided goods for the province during the recent Investment Promotion Conference. And people have gotten into the habit of choosing supermarkets - where all products have their origin announced, instead of the habit of buying floating goods.
Mr. Dung also affirmed that this is the "hottest" period of the year in terms of ensuring food safety, and from now on, the Department has many things to do so that people not only have a happy and sufficient Tet but also a safe one. Depending on the actual situation, local post-inspection teams are established by the local Food Safety Steering Committee, and at the same time, closely coordinate with the provincial post-inspection inspection teams when inspecting and post-inspecting in the area; localities must report the results to the provincial Department before December 15, 2011.
Thuy Vinh
