Of the total number of companies penalized this time, 7 companies violated advertising, 3 companies violated product quality, 3 companies violated periodic testing, and 2 companies violated 2 behaviors (advertising and periodic testing).

In particular, there were 7 companies that violated with heavy fines from 20 million to 50 million VND such as: An Toan Import-Export Company Limited (located at 29 3/2 Street, Ward 11, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) for advertising the functional food product Best Slim with misleading content that it has the same effect as a medicine.

KT Newlife Vietnam Joint Stock Company (located at No. 89, Alley 97, Lane 168, Kim Giang Street, Dai Kim, Hoang Mai, Hanoi) does not maintain periodic product testing as prescribed.

Bhip Limited Liability Company (headquartered at 156 Xa Dan 2, Nam Dong Ward, Dong Da, Hanoi) advertised functional food products with inappropriate content and did not maintain regular product testing...

Along with the fine, the Food Safety Department has forced the above establishments to immediately stop the violations; remove the illegal advertising content; conduct periodic product testing according to regulations; and recall and destroy batches of products that violate quality.

Director of the Food Safety Department Nguyen Thanh Phong said: The Food Safety Department, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health, together with units of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Public Security and centrally-run provinces and cities are deploying inter-sectoral inspection and examination teams on food safety during the Action Month for Food Safety in 2016, will strictly handle violating establishments, and publicly announce on mass media according to regulations.

In the coming time, implementing the direction of the Ministry of Health on strengthening food safety management, the Department of Food Safety will continue to coordinate with functional units at the central and local levels to strengthen inspection and examination of compliance with food safety regulations for food production, trading, import and advertising establishments under the management of the Ministry of Health. From May, inspections or checks will mainly be applied in the form of surprise checks./.

According to Vietnamplus