Improving state management capacity on food safety

After the Provincial People's Committee issued the Project to improve state management capacity on food safety in Nghe An province for the period 2020-2025, the Department of Industry and Trade issued Plan No. 1876/KH-SCT dated November 13, 2019 on implementing the Project "Improving state management capacity on food safety in Nghe An province for the period 2020-2025".

The interdisciplinary team inspected a restaurant in Vinh city. Photo: Thu Huyen

To implement the project, every year, the Department of Industry and Trade develops a plan to train and disseminate legal documents on food safety for food safety management officers and production and business establishments under the management of the Department of Industry and Trade in the area to improve the management of officers as well as raise awareness of establishments on ensuring food safety. At the same time, develop a plan for specialized inspection during peak food safety occasions such as: Lunar New Year and Spring Festival season, Month of action for food safety, Mid-Autumn Festival, as well as participate in inter-sectoral delegations at the provincial level and districts, cities and towns in the province...

Inspection at Hanoi Beer Factory - Nghe An. Photo: Thu Huyen

The industry has widely disseminated and popularized food safety topics to the public, food production and trading establishments on local radio and television systems through Industry and Trade topics and local newspapers. Printed banners and slogans to promote food safety during peak periods. Strengthened the direction and guidance of communication work to the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns during peak periods of food safety.

An interdisciplinary team inspected moon cakes at a business store in Kim Lien commune, Nam Dan district. Photo: Thu Huyen

From 2020 to June 2022, the Department has organized and coordinated many training courses to improve professional qualifications and state management skills in the field of food safety for officials and civil servants in the sector and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns; legal knowledge for organizations and individuals producing and trading food under its management for about 150-200 people/class. In coordination with the Domestic Market Department, the Ministry of Industry and Trade organized training courses on food safety knowledge in Nghe An province for officials and civil servants managing food safety at the district and commune levels.

The Department of Industry and Trade has also coordinated with relevant agencies and units to organize the province's inter-sectoral inspection team to ensure food safety during peak occasions: Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Food Safety Action Month. Every year, it develops a plan for specialized inspection and examination as well as supervision of food safety assurance at establishments under its management.

Mr. Vo Minh Tuan - Chief Inspector of the Department of Industry and Trade said: Through timely dissemination and popularization of the law with many diverse forms and rich content, the awareness and sense of law compliance of consumers, food production, processing and trading establishments have been gradually improved. Many food production and trading establishments that previously violated the law have now complied well with the conditions and administrative procedures on food hygiene and safety such as: Business registration certificate suitable for the business line, Certificate of eligibility for food safety, Health examination certificate for employees according to regulations, self-declaration of products, commitment to ensure food safety in production and trading.

Thanks to that, there have been clear changes in the awareness of each organization and individual towards producing and trading quality food, caring for the health of consumers.

Interdisciplinary team inspects food safety compliance at restaurants in Vinh City. Photo: Thu Huyen

However, according to feedback, the regulation on self-declaration of products has reduced administrative procedures and created favorable conditions for establishments to carry out before putting products on the market. However, the number of units with the responsibility of testing food in the locality is still small, while production and business establishments are still struggling to choose testing criteria and the cost of testing is still quite high, especially for small-scale production households.

In addition, in the province, the number of small-scale food production and trading establishments is large and often fluctuates, while Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP dated February 2, 2018 of the Government stipulates that small-scale production and trading establishments do not have to be granted food safety certificates, causing difficulties for management. Many production and trading establishments, for profit, disregard the provisions of the law. Post-inspection work still faces many difficulties due to the unsynchronized management system, the number of personnel in charge of food safety is still small, and the specialized knowledge of the officers in charge in the localities has not been trained or fostered. Although the work of propagating and disseminating the law has received attention, it is sometimes not really systematic, regular and widespread among the people, especially for people in remote, isolated and border areas.

Clean and safe food is always the choice of consumers. Photo: Thu Huyen

Mr. Le Duc Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade said: Under the direction of superiors, the Department of Industry and Trade has promptly implemented regulations on food safety assurance under the management of the sector in the province. In the coming time, we will continue to update new regulations and propagate and disseminate legal regulations on food safety assurance for production and business establishments in the province to promptly grasp and implement in accordance with the provisions of the law.

In the coming time, we will focus on directing and implementing food safety assurance work on key occasions of the year, focusing on high-risk food products. Strengthening coordination among sectors in inspection and examination; post-inspection of food safety at establishments under the management of the industry and trade sector...

Mr. Le Duc Anh - Deputy Director of Department of Industry and Trade