Vinh City lacks food safety inspection machines

(Baonghean.vn) - Mr. Tran Van Son - Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee stated the current situation, the city lacks machinery and equipment to quickly detect when taking food samples for testing.

Mr. Tran Van Son - Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee explained many contents about food safety and hygiene issues. Photo: Nam Phuc

This issue was discussed by Mr. Son at the 5th session of the Vinh City People's Council, term XXI. Before that, delegates at the session questioned the Vice Chairman of the Vinh City People's Committee on many "hot" issues such as: checking the origin of food to consumers, whether the punishment and post-inspection after punishing establishments violating food safety and hygiene are strict or not? The situation of selling snacks everywhere in front of school gates, people selling food in alleys in the city...

Delegates also suggested that the city should publicize the list of "dirty" food production facilities and safe food businesses so that people can monitor and use them with peace of mind.

In the report explaining the above content, Mr. Son said that currently, Vinh City has more than 32,000 establishments for growing crops, raising livestock, producing and trading food, processing food, providing food services... and 14 stores selling safe food. Regarding veterinary quarantine, at slaughterhouses, there are 200 pigs/day and night/slaughterhouse (reaching a rate of 80%) and 35 cows/day and night/slaughterhouse (reaching a rate of 85%).

During 2016 - 2017, the city's interdisciplinary delegation and communes and wards inspected more than 1,000 establishments, fining 270 establishments with a total fine of nearly 400 million VND.

Vinh City conducts veterinary quarantine at slaughterhouses at 200 pigs/day/night/slaughterhouse (reaching a rate of 80%). In the photo, a pork trader at Vinh market. Photo: Nam Phuc

Mr. Son admitted that post-licensing inspection and supervision (post-inspection) has not been regular, weak and seasonal; the situation of selling fresh food on sidewalks and roads has not been thoroughly handled. In addition, the awareness of compliance with food safety and hygiene laws of some establishments, households and individuals producing and processing food is still limited.

According to Mr. Son, one of the "force majeure" reasons that not only Vinh City but the whole province is facing difficulties in managing and checking the origin of food is the lack of means and machinery to inspect food safety.

“Food inspection at processing establishments is mainly administrative in nature, based on their business registration documents. Vinh City is aiming to become a class 1 urban area, but for many years we have been requesting the province to build a regional food inspection center but it has not been successful. There are no means and machines to quickly detect results when taking food samples, so samples must be sent to central centers, which is expensive and time-consuming,” said Mr. Son.

Referring to some solutions for food safety management in the coming time, Mr. Son said that the city will continue to increase penalties for establishments violating food safety, the penalty will increase 10 times according to the commitment if the establishments re-offend; even if necessary, criminalization can be sufficient to deter; building concentrated production planning areas. In particular, the consumer community and businesses also need to raise awareness and "say no to dirty food"./.

Nam Phuc