Nghe An strengthens State management of food safety
State management of food safety has contributed to raising awareness of each organization and individual in producing and trading quality food for the health of consumers.
Positive change
These days, the production atmosphere at Son Huyen Seafood Company Limited (Cua Lo) seems to be more bustling and hurried. Employees here are focusing on producing in time for orders to serve the upcoming Lunar New Year market. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen - Director of the company shared that the company's 3 product lines including special squid rolls, breaded shrimp, and seafood spring rolls have met the 3-star OCOP standard in 2022. To improve product quality, her facility has invested more than 4 billion VND to upgrade and equip a system of freezers, preservation machines, food grinders and oil-separating fryers. This system helps her strictly control product quality from raw material preparation to product processing and packaging.
Ms. Lien said that in the past, people rarely paid attention to this step, usually using a certain amount of oil to fry the product. However, this modern machine can automatically separate the excess oil from the food after frying, helping to reduce the amount of fat in the product to protect the health of consumers. And more importantly, it also reduces the amount of oil discharged into the environment. In the future, we will continue to improve product quality, ensuring the health of consumers and the surrounding environment.
Nowadays, the awareness of managers, producers, processors, traders and food consumers is increasingly improved. Party committees at all levels, authorities, the Fatherland Front and organizations have promoted their roles in ensuring food hygiene and safety.
The above results were achieved thanks to the proactive and drastic participation of the government system from the city to the grassroots. Mr. Le Duc Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade said: The industry has proactively and coordinated in propagating and disseminating laws on food safety assurance with many diverse forms and rich content. Thanks to that, 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 well implemented the conditions and administrative procedures on food safety and hygiene such as: Business registration certificate suitable for the business line, Certificate of eligibility for food safety; health check-ups for employees according to regulations... At the same time, they have committed to ensuring food safety in production and trading.
However, due to the large number of small-scale food production and trading establishments, frequent fluctuations, lack of concentration, and regional characteristics, while the standards and regulations are not clear, it is difficult to properly implement the provisions of the law. In addition, there are currently no sanctions for small-scale production and trading establishments that do not have a business registration and do not have a commitment to ensure food safety in production and trading, causing difficulties in management. There are no specific and detailed instructions for assessing the criteria for assessing the conditions for granting a Certificate of qualified food safety facility. Some product groups do not have standards to assess the allowable limits or have expired but there is no replacement document, leading to difficulties in applying the establishment's product standards, standards for assessment and post-inspection of food safety by the management agency.
In 2024, the Department of Industry and Trade conducted 1 inspection at 4 units, fined 1 unit 10 million VND. Coordinated the issuance of 9 decisions on administrative sanctions for food safety violations according to the sanction records transferred by the interdisciplinary team, with a total fine of 41 million VND. Participated in interdisciplinary teams on food safety at the provincial level during peak times of the year, including the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2024, the team inspected 25 establishments, drew up administrative violation records for 6 violating establishments and transferred the records to the competent authorities to request the issuance of decisions on administrative sanctions according to their authority, with a total fine of 88.5 million VND.
The main violations of food safety are that the person directly preparing food does not wear a hat or mask; does not comply with the provisions of the law on food sample storage; provides food services with an expired food safety certificate; violates the provisions of the law on food safety conditions in food preservation; produces food with an expired food safety certificate; does not have adequate equipment, tools, washing and disinfection facilities in accordance with regulations for washing and disinfecting hands, personal hygiene, and equipment and tools.
Coordinate processing and ensure food safety
Food safety is always a hot issue, attracting public attention because of its direct and long-term impact on human health, and its great impact on socio-economic development. Implementing the direction of the Prime Minister, the plan of the Secretariat, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, and the direction of superiors, the Department of Industry and Trade has promptly implemented regulations on food safety assurance under its management in the province.
In 2024, the Department of Industry and Trade has integrated and arranged in regular activities as well as coordinated with relevant agencies and units to deploy contents according to the functions and tasks of the industry. In order to enhance the role and responsibility of State management of food safety, it has chaired and coordinated with relevant units to organize a number of training courses on food safety; inspected and checked compliance with food safety laws. Every year, it is a member of the supervision of the Interdisciplinary Food Safety Teams during peak periods of the year: Lunar New Year and Spring Festival season, Action Month for Food Safety, and Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Department of Industry and Trade has also propagated and guided the implementation of legal regulations on food safety in many forms: Integrating in the appraisal and inspection of facilities; propagating on the website of the Department and its affiliated units; Hanging banners and slogans in response; organizing activities connecting supply and demand, connecting domestic and foreign trade to promote the consumption of quality products in Nghe An province.
In addition, in the work of assessing and granting certificates of qualified food safety facilities, the Department of Industry and Trade has focused on disseminating information on food safety issues affecting the health of each person, clearly stating the obligations and rights of all citizens and workers in implementing food safety regulations, preventing and combating food poisoning and the harmful effects of using food that does not ensure quality, or has unknown origin. Thereby, contributing to raising awareness among workers and complying with food safety laws.
“In the coming time, we will continue to update new regulations and propagate and disseminate legal regulations on food safety for production and business establishments in the province to promptly grasp and implement in accordance with legal regulations. Focus on directing and implementing food safety work on key occasions such as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival season, Food Safety Action Month, and Mid-Autumn Festival in 2025. Strengthen supervision and post-inspection of food safety at establishments under the management of the Department of Industry and Trade…”, the leader of the Department of Industry and Trade added.
