Prime Minister: Food hygiene is a matter of national survival.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the morning of April 27, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Government held a nationwide online conference on food safety. Deputy Prime Ministers Truong Hoa Binh and Vu Duc Dam also attended.

On the Nghe An side, the delegation included Comrade Nguyen Dac Vinh - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee: Comrade Le Xuan Dai - Permanent Vice Chairman; Comrade Le Minh Thong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with members of the Food Safety Steering Committee and leaders of districts, cities, and towns.

A view of the online conference from the Nghe An end of the connection.

Clarify the responsibilities of each sector and locality.

This year's conference is taking place at a time when food safety and hygiene is receiving significant public attention. Therefore, from the very beginning of the conference, the Prime Minister emphasized that discussions must focus on proposing mechanisms, solutions, and methods to overcome obstacles; and clarifying the responsibilities of each sector and locality regarding food safety.

The Prime Minister instructed: A major issue that directly affects the people cannot be left unaddressed; the commune must be held accountable, the district must be held accountable, and the province, ministries, and sectors must also be held accountable.

At the same time, the Prime Minister requested that, among the many food items that need to be ensured for the people, certain items must be prioritized. The government has identified these as fresh, everyday necessities for the people.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers a speech at the conference. Photo: baochinhphu.vn.

The Provincial Party Secretary and the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee presided over the Nghệ An branch of the meeting.

The report does not accurately reflect the dangers of food safety risks.

In fact, the current state of food safety and hygiene is alarming. Reports from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade at the conference clearly highlighted this issue.

Most recently, during the peak period of food safety (October 2015 – February 2016), it was found that: pesticide residue in vegetables is currently 5.17%; violations of banned substances and antibiotics in meat exceeding limits is 1.91%; and violations of banned chemicals and antibiotics exceeding limits in seafood is 7.27%. In the first quarter of 2016, inter-agency inspection teams inspected 109,195 establishments, discovering 20,572 establishments in violation, accounting for 18.8%...

Speaking from the Ho Chi Minh City side, Party Secretary Dinh La Thang stated: "I don't believe this report. Over the past period, the issue of food safety and hygiene has not improved. The number one reason for this is the lack of accountability; from the commune, ward, or provincial level, no one has been disciplined, in a way that makes everyone happy."

Contaminated bamboo shoots discovered in Hung Chinh commune, Vinh City (photo by Pham Bang).

In Nghe An province, within a short period, numerous cases of food safety violations have been discovered. Specifically, on April 7th, the Nghe An Environmental Police discovered 146 containers of Kim Quynh rice vinegar at the production facility of Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim, residing in Vinh Tan ward, Vinh city. All of them were counterfeit, made by mixing acid with tap water and then bottling them.

Around the same time, the Nghe An Police discovered dozens of tons of foul-smelling bamboo shoots in Doi Cung Ward and Le Mao Ward (Vinh City). Upon inspection, it was found that these bamboo shoots had been treated with an unknown substance to make them appear yellow and fresh, posing a health risk to consumers.

The use of chemicals and additives of unknown origin and toxicity in food processing is also common in the production of fried dough sticks, roasted meat, and clean vegetables.

Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc once again affirmed that food safety and hygiene is a vital issue for the country. Under the leadership of the Party, the political system at all levels must get involved and consider food safety as an important task. This "revolution" must be made known to the people, raising their awareness in production and encouraging them to report all types of crimes.

Counterfeit alcohol is destroyed at the Provincial Market Management Department.

Attention must be paid to the responsibility of each individual in implementation. At the same time, all forces must be mobilized for inspection and supervision. The public and the media must be encouraged to participate. Violations must be dealt with severely and resolutely. In addition, production methods should be gradually changed, and awareness campaigns should be conducted among individual farmers, farm owners, and businesses to ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene regulations.

My Ha