Potential risks to food safety and hygiene during the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year).
"Unsafe food" is one of the most frequently mentioned phrases in recent years. As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, the demand for food increases, making this concern even more apparent.
Constantly worried about contaminated food.
In the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), reporters visiting the Xanh Market in Dien Thanh town, Dien Chau district, observed a large variety of fresh food, confectionery, and fruits for the holiday being sold, attracting many buyers. Despite this, food safety and hygiene issues persisted.
In the seafood preparation and grilling area of the market, there are no tables; all the processing is done by vendors right on the tiled floor. Sliced pieces of fish waiting to be grilled are placed directly on the ground in dirty water, causing many people to feel uneasy.
Not far away were stalls selling pork, beef, and processed meat products such as sausages and cured meats. According to the reporter's observations, these stalls lacked netting or screens to protect against flies, and some vendors even handled the meat with their bare hands. At the poultry stall, numerous cages of chickens, ducks, and geese were placed on top of drainage manholes. The pungent smell of wastewater from poultry slaughtering permeated a whole corner of the market.
Mr. Tran Dang Trung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Thanh town, said: Currently, there are three markets in the area, including Xanh Market, Chieu Market, and Phu Dien Market. Xanh Market has long faced difficulties due to a lack of integrated infrastructure investment, which has somewhat affected food safety and hygiene. After receiving feedback, Dien Thanh town will conduct an inspection of the market area to address the food safety issues and ensure consumer safety.
In Hoa Thanh town market, Yen Thanh district, many fresh agricultural products such as fruits, vermicelli, and frozen foods are sold, but most lack packaging, labels, and clear information about their origin. Other fresh food items such as fish, shrimp, and prawns are also sold and processed directly on the market floor, posing a potential risk of contamination.
Ms. Phan Thi Tuyet, Head of the Health Department of Yen Thanh District, stated: The district has 2,602 food production and business establishments, including 21 markets. To date, the district has upgraded 10 markets; however, food safety and hygiene in the district still face many challenges, especially in markets that have not been upgraded. These include the continued existence of some establishments that have not been granted food safety and hygiene certificates and have not signed food safety and hygiene commitments, and the continued practice of slaughtering livestock and poultry at home. Some localities have not shown sufficient interest in directing food safety and hygiene work in their areas of responsibility; they have not closely followed and promptly implemented directives from higher authorities…
Not only in rural markets but also throughout Vinh City, the problem of food safety and hygiene continues to recur. According to statistics, the city has 26 active markets, including large markets that serve as trading centers for the province, such as Vinh Market, the wholesale market, and Vinh Train Station Market… however, observations indicate that food of unknown origin is still present in these markets.
According to observations at Vinh Market, the largest market in Nghe An province, people have begun shopping for Tet (Lunar New Year), with confectionery stalls attracting large crowds. At the entrance to Tay Dinh Temple in Vinh Market, dozens of stalls sell a wide variety of candies, attractively displayed, with bulk candies and bird's nest candies making up a significant portion. However, these items lack origin information, supplementary labels, and expiration dates, and are sold at very low prices. When questioned, some vendors hastily affixed labels to their goods to cover their tracks.
Currently, in Vinh City, Hung Chinh slaughterhouse is the only centralized livestock slaughterhouse after Nghi Phu slaughterhouse ceased operations. However, the slaughtering of livestock there does not meet food safety and hygiene standards. Inspection and enforcement regarding food safety and hygiene at this slaughterhouse remain neglected.
According to statistics from the Nghe An Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine, there are 974 livestock slaughtering facilities in the province. Of these, only 41 are centralized slaughtering facilities under regular veterinary supervision, while the remaining 933 are small-scale slaughterhouses. This is an alarming figure regarding the risk of food safety and hygiene issues when these small-scale facilities are not regularly monitored and inspected, especially given the repeated outbreaks of African swine fever in Nghe An province in 2024.
Strengthen inspections.
According to data from the Department of Health, in 2024, the entire province established 1,632 inspection teams to check food safety and hygiene, inspecting a total of 20,719 establishments. Of these, 19,870 establishments met the standards (94.69%) and 1,114 establishments violated the regulations (5.31%), resulting in total fines of nearly 3.5 billion VND.
The main food safety violations include: Production and business establishments operating in conditional sectors without a food safety certificate or with an expired certificate; Failure to comply with legal regulations on the three-step food inspection and food sample retention; Food handlers not wearing adequate protective clothing as required; Inadequate storage and warehousing areas; Violations of legal regulations on food preservation; and Violations of product quality standards.
In 2024, the province recorded 2 food poisoning incidents under the management of district and commune levels, affecting 77 people, with no fatalities.
Representatives from the Nghe An Food Safety and Hygiene Department stated that food safety inspections in the province still face many difficulties, including: The state management apparatus for food safety is fragmented and lacks a centralized coordinating body; inspections, checks, and administrative handling of food safety violations at the district and commune levels are not frequent, mainly focusing only on peak periods; and the illegal business and advertising of functional foods, especially on social media, is complex, difficult to manage, affects consumer rights, and causes public outrage.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Market Management Department, added: "Before, during, and after the Lunar New Year, a large amount of food flows into Nghe An. Among these, many items, upon inspection by authorities, lack clear origin information, such as animal organs, eggs, and confectionery."
To improve the effectiveness of inspection and handling of violations, the Provincial Market Management Department, in coordination with relevant agencies, is promoting the dissemination of legal knowledge on food safety to organizations and individuals involved in food production and business, as well as consumers; encouraging people to report violations in the production and sale of unsafe food; and organizing food production and processing businesses to sign commitments to ensure food safety. Regular inspections and handling of violations in food business operations, restaurants, markets, food production facilities, and food additive production facilities are also conducted within the province.
