HCM City to pilot food safety and hygiene programme in schools

HCM City will pilot a programme in in six districts to prevent food poisoning incidents. (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – A on ensuring food safety and
hygiene at all schools in six districts in HCM City will begin in the upcoming
school year.

Under the programme, the six pilot
districts of 3, 5, 8, 11, Tan Binh and Binh Thanh must ensure that all schools
have either met standards of the city’s food safety chain model recognised by
the city’s Food Safety Management Board, or have food-safety certificates (such
as the global ISO 22000:2005, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practice (Japan-GMP), VietGap and GlobalGap.

If any school unit has not
terminated a contract with a food supplier that has not met standards since the
2017-2018 school year, it must do so and report the action to the department.

The Department of Education and
Training has told the remaining districts to be ready for the programme as well
in the 2018-2019 academic year.

Under the programme, by 2020, all
canteens, kitchens and catering services at all district schools would meet
food safety standards.

HCM City has more than 2,800 school
units from pre-school to tertiary schools providing food services for students.

At least 1,600 schools have
kitchens, 880 provide canteen services, and 320 collaborate with catering
services.

Local agencies have faced many
difficulties trying to prevent food poisoning incidents and controlling the
quality of food supplied to kitchens and canteens.-VNA