While discussing the bill in Hanoi on June 1, the deputies said the bill should focus on the agencies responsible for administering and inspecting food products, given the fact that food safety is critically important to public health.

Deputy Nguyen Thi Bach Mai from Tay Ninh province pointed out that a lot of unsafe food is circulated on the market, and suggested that the bill ban the production and use of packages of unknown origin.

Deputy Pham Thi Thanh Huong from Binh Dinh province noted that many fresh food poisoning cases have been reported across the country, but nobody knows exactly the origin of such fresh food products. She said that all packaged and fresh products should be labelled, clarifying their origin and expiry date.

The deputies proposed that the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development be the main agencies to monitor, inspect and bear the responsibility for issues relating to food safety and hygiene.

They also suggested tougher punitive measures for law-breakers, including the recall of sub-standard products. They said the recall is a deterrent measure to stop food businesses from circulating bad quality products on the market.

Deputy Huynh Phuoc Long from Tra Vinh province also pointed to the fact that it is difficult for relevant agencies to examine street food stalls, which have mushroomed to cater to the various tastes of local people, employees and passers-by. He proposed that besides local administrations, the Ministry of Health monitor and examine such stalls.