Nghe An handles more than 2,000 cases of food safety violations

(Baonghean.vn) - In the first 9 months of the year, Nghe An province has inspected and handled over 2,000 cases of food safety violations, with a total fine of over 2.5 billion VND.

On the afternoon of September 21, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee worked with the Central Inter-sectoral Inspection Delegation on food safety in the province and food safety during the 2017 Mid-Autumn Festival.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Minh Thong - Deputy Standing Member of the Provincial Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety chaired the meeting with the delegation.

Overview of the meeting. Photo: Phu Huong

In the first 9 months of 2017, Nghe An province organized many activities to ensure food safety and hygiene in the area; at the same time, the sectors of Industry and Trade, Health, Agriculture and Rural Development have implemented synchronous solutions, handling 2,010 violations with a total fine of more than 2.5 billion VND; implementing handling measures such as administrative fines, closing violating establishments, suspending product circulation and forcing the destruction of products that do not ensure food safety and hygiene.

At the same time, implementing the plan on ensuring food safety during the 2017 Mid-Autumn Festival, up to now, all relevant sectors and localities have had plans to implement the following contents: Unscheduled inspection of the implementation of regulations on ensuring food safety; combining propaganda and education for authorities at all levels, managers and producers, processors and traders to properly implement the regulations; strengthening inspection and examination to promptly handle violations.

At the meeting, delegates shared about the difficulties in ensuring food safety in the context of small-scale production, such as the thin task force and the difficulty in evaluating some criteria.

The Environmental Police Team, Vinh City Police, inspected violations at a rice cake production facility in Vinh Tan Ward. Photo: Hong Quang

Nghe An province proposed that the Central Government should build a quality control system to apply to localities, creating conditions for quick and timely assessment and inspection of product quality; and establish regional centers to facilitate food safety activities nationwide.

It is necessary to invest in equipping the province with additional means of testing food samples to meet the requirements of timely inspection and handling of violations. The government also needs to define the responsibilities of each level and sector more clearly to avoid overlap that can easily lead to laxity.

The Central Interdisciplinary Inspection Team has recorded Nghe An's recommendations to report to the Government for direction and implementation.

Previously, the delegation inspected a number of food production facilities in the province and gave instructions on how to handle some remaining problems.

Phu Huong