Sao Mai Kindergarten in Bac Ninh city in the northern province of Bac Ninh ensures food safety for students’ lunch. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The for food safety
this year will have the theme “Ensuring food security and safety in the
new situation”, according to a plan which has been issued by Minister of
Health Dao Hong Lan.
In the plan, the ministry said that food security and safety has
received the attention and direction from the whole political system from
central to grassroots levels.
Legal documents on food safety management have been reviewed and
supplemented to meet the requirements of domestic management and international
integration.
Awareness and responsibility of authorities, organisations,
business establishments and the people about food safety have changed
positively.
Organic raw material areas and safe food supply chains have been
formed.
However, ensuring food safety still has many shortcomings and
limitations.
Many business establishments have violated regulations on food
safety. Cross-border food smuggling, false food supplement advertising and
plant protection drug abuse have complicated developments. Food safety in
industrial parks and schools has not been ensured.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is still a high risk, import markets have
more technical regulations. Besides food safety regulations, they added
regulations for COVID-19 prevention and control.
Thus consumption of agricultural, forestry and fishery products
faces many difficulties.
Recognising that food security and safety is an important, urgent
and long-term issue that directly affects people’s health, the Secretariat
issued Directive No. 17-CT/TW on October 21 last year on strengthening food
security and safety.
To put the directive into practice, and further strengthen the
roles and responsibilities of organisations and the people, the central inter-sectoral
steering committee for food safety, of which Minister Lan is deputy head, chose
the title for the action month for food safety this year “Ensuring food
security and safety in the new situation”.
The action month’s purpose is to raise awareness and the
responsibilities of all people in food safety.
The action month highlights the roles of organisations,
individuals and enterprises while following the law on .
It updates information on safe, high-quality food supply chains,
violated establishments, and potential risks of food insecurity and unsafety.
During the month from April 15 to May 15, inspectors will
strengthen supervision of food security and safety, and strictly handle
organisations, individuals and businesses that violate regulations on food
security and safety.
In the month, a communication campaign will be launched to spread
regulations on food safety in food production and trading, and limit food
poisoning.
The national action month on food safety will start in the middle
of next month./.
Source: VietnamPlus
