Concerns about 'unsafe' food during Tet (Lunar New Year)
(Baonghean.vn) - New Year's Day, Lunar New Year, and the festival season are times when people's shopping and consumption needs increase significantly. This also means that the risk of food safety and hygiene issues, affecting people's health, is greater than ever.
There are still many violations.
On December 14, 2022, while on duty, a patrol team from Traffic Police Team No. 4, Nghe An Provincial Police, spotted a young man transporting two white styrofoam boxes on a motorbike without a license plate. Upon seeing the officers approaching to inspect the goods, the suspect suddenly abandoned the two boxes and fled.
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Two styrofoam boxes containing contaminated food were discovered by Traffic Police Team No. 4, Nghe An Provincial Police. (Photo: Archival material) |
Suspecting something unusual about the styrofoam containers, the traffic police contacted the People's Committee of Nam Thai commune to coordinate an inspection. Upon opening the containers, they discovered 30 kg of pig intestines emitting a foul odor and lacking the required inspection certificates. The police handed them over to the relevant authorities in Nam Dan district for proper disposal.
Recently, local police forces have continuously apprehended cases involving contaminated food and food of unknown origin being transported through Nghe An province… According to authorities, as the New Year approaches,Lunar New Yearand during the holiday season, the problem is loss.food safety and hygieneThis is increasingly worrying. Mr. Pham Ngoc Quy, Head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department of Nghe An province, said: Tet and the main festival season are times when the demand for food increases dramatically, leading to many risks of food safety and hygiene violations. And it is during this time that violations of food safety and hygiene laws become more complex, with many sophisticated methods. For profit, perpetrators introduce smuggled and unverified food products into the market; selling contaminated food to consumers.
Some food production facilities are using banned substances and food additives in excessive amounts; altering packaging, labels, and expiration dates for food. Businesses are not ensuring food production processes follow the one-way principle. Food handlers are not meeting regulatory requirements. Notably, many individual households that do not regularly participate in food production, processing, or trading are now also involved during this period…
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The inspection team checks on safety assurance at food production, business, and processing facilities. Photo: Thanh Chung |
With these dangers, food poisoning can occur at any time. Food poisoning can stem from the following stages: Firstly, during the farming and cultivation process, producers use excessive amounts of pesticides and growth stimulants without adhering to permitted procedures. These harmful elements persist in livestock and crops for a long time, causing poisoning in consumers. Secondly, during the distribution of food in the market, businesses misuse and overuse food preservatives. Thirdly, during processing, processors use excessive food additives and improper processing methods, leading to food contamination with various microorganisms. Fourthly, it relates to homemade or infused alcoholic beverages.
In 2022, the entire province established 1,212 inspection teams, conducting inspections of 10,366 establishments. Of these, 9,630 establishments met the standards, while 736 violated regulations, resulting in total fines of 2,155,555,000 VND. Notable food safety violations included: failure to comply with legal regulations on the three-step food inspection process and food sample retention; using unsanitary food storage facilities and equipment; allowing insects and animals to enter the premises; selling food or using expired or unidentifiable food ingredients; and storing food in unsanitary containers.
Strengthen inspections and audits.
To minimize the risk of food safety and hygiene violations, on December 15, 2022, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Plan No. 895/KH-UBND on inter-agency inspection and monitoring of food safety in Nghe An province in 2023. The plan's objectives are to strengthen food safety assurance in the production, processing, trading, and import of food during peak periods, protect consumer health; and tighten management and strictly handle violations of food safety regulations.
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The inter-agency inspection team of Nghe An province inspects supermarkets during the Lunar New Year holiday. Photo: Thanh Chung |
Through inspection and monitoring, violations of food safety regulations are promptly detected and prevented, ensuring that unsafe, unidentifiable, or smuggled food does not circulate in the market; preventing and reducing food poisoning incidents caused by the consumption of counterfeit, unsafe, or substandard food, thereby improving the quality of public health protection and care.
The People's Committee of Nghe An province has also issued a plan to implement food safety measures for the Lunar New Year (Year of the Rabbit) and Spring Festival season of 2023 in Nghe An province. The plan aims to minimize food poisoning incidents during the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival season of 2023; establish inter-agency inspection teams from the provincial level down to the commune, ward, and town levels, focusing on product groups with high consumption during Tet and festivals, those with high risk factors, food processing villages, markets, border gates, and especially food supply hubs. The plan will be implemented from December 23, 2022, to March 12, 2023.
Three main activities were implemented during this period, including inter-agency inspections, monitoring, and communication. For inter-agency inspections, Nghe An province established inspection teams from the provincial to the commune level, inviting representatives from the Fatherland Front at the same level to participate. For monitoring, the Provincial People's Committee assigned departments, localities, and relevant agencies to proactively form monitoring teams to conduct food contamination risk monitoring according to their assigned areas and responsibilities, focusing mainly on items widely consumed during the Lunar New Year and other festivals such as meat and meat products, beverages, cakes, jams, candies, and cereal products... to promptly warn of food safety risks.
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People choose to buy food at supermarkets and markets. Photo: Duc Anh |
Regarding communication activities, the Provincial People's Committee requests that media agencies, political and social organizations and associations from the provincial to the commune level diversify appropriate forms and means of communication to disseminate the contents of the Food Safety Law, legal documents on food safety, technical standards and regulations, food safety conditions, and knowledge about food safety; promptly warn of food safety risks before, during, and after Tet, as well as the Spring Festival season of 2023… Publicize on mass media the organizations and individuals violating regulations on ensuring food safety; widely and actively promote safe food production and business establishments, individuals, and addresses to consumers.
Based on the Provincial People's Committee's plan, at this time, functional departments and localities have also developed and implemented plans to ensure food safety during the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit - Spring Festival season of 2023 and established inspection teams to warn, deter, and prevent illegal food production and trading activities.
Mr. Pham Ngoc Quy, Head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department of Nghe An province, advises: During Tet and the Spring Festival season, consumers need to have a firm grasp of food safety knowledge, such as choosing food with clear origins; paying attention to nuts that show signs of unsanitary conditions, canned goods that have changed shape; not using food that shows signs of spoilage or poor quality; carefully checking labels and expiration dates… Food production, business, and processing establishments must comply with conditions and procedures to ensure food safety and hygiene.
