Publicly identify companies with "dirty" food and food safety violations
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong, Director of the Department of Food Safety (Ministry of Health) assessed that publicizing the identities of companies that violate food safety acts as a strict deterrent, helping companies always try to improve themselves so as not to lose the trust of consumers. Excessive advertising of dietary supplements and their effects are also warned and made public so that people can understand and choose suitable products.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Phong said that in recent years, the Food Safety Department has always publicly and transparently updated food safety violations on the department's website and on mass media.
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| The Food Safety Department recommends that people do not stock up too much food during Tet, choose to buy food with clear origin, and preserve it properly. |
"This is to warn, deter, and prevent illegal food production and trading. At the same time, it helps consumers not buy food from unsanitary production and trading establishments that do not ensure safety," said Mr. Phong.
In particular, from now until Lunar New Year, the amount of food in circulation is very large, the Food Safety Department will organize inspection teams nationwide; localities will also organize inspection teams, implementing from January 1, 2019 to March 25, 2019 to ensure food safety.
Dr. Phong said that since the beginning of the year, the Food Safety Department has revoked hundreds of licenses and fined hundreds of businesses nearly 6 billion VND for violating food safety regulations. All establishments and individuals that have been fined for violating food safety regulations will be widely announced by the Food Safety Department on mass media to increase deterrence and to let consumers know not to use violating products.
Mr. Phong also warned that the Lunar New Year and Spring Festival 2019 are approaching, the Tet holiday is often long, and after the Lunar New Year is the festival season taking place nationwide, many festivals last long with millions of visitors attending. This is also the time of the year when food consumption is the largest, especially meat, fish, eggs, cakes, candies, alcohol, soft drinks, oil seeds, etc. To meet the market demand, many food production and trading establishments also increase their production, trading and import. In addition, during this time the weather in the North is often humid, the South is often extremely hot. These are factors that greatly affect the assurance of food safety and quality.
Therefore, to ensure food safety, in addition to increased inspections by the delegations, consumers also need to be smart, choose foods with clear origin, preserve them properly, and not stockpile too much food... to ensure food safety.