Consumers’ needs for different kinds of food are often on the rise as Tet draws near. During the time, the domestic market is flooded with substandard domestic and imported products. What measures should the relevant agencies take to control the quality of food and protect consumers’ health?

According to the Chief Inspector of the Food Hygiene and Safety Department Nguyen Van Nhien, the relevant agencies have recently found cases where food hygiene and safety regulations were violated. A number of production units have used banned chemicals in processing food and failed to ensure hygienic conditions.

During Tet, due to the increased demand for foodstuffs, the volume of various products will rise dramatically, making it critical to give higher priority to monitoring food hygiene and safety than on any other occasion.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has devised plan No 1197 to inspect the quality of goods during Tet. The department has asked localities throughout the country to strictly control the granting of certificates on food hygiene and safety, workers’ health, training on food hygiene and safety and food standards.

The MoH has worked closely with other state agencies to set up ten inspection teams to monitor food and hygiene safety in 30 provinces and cities nationwide.

After the inspection, production units that meet strict food hygiene and safety standards should be promoted to help consumers select good-quality products while violators should be duly dealt with.

Mr Nhien says that food hygiene and safety inspectors were just established in 2009 so their skills are limited. To ensure high efficiency, the department has proposed the MoH organise inspections from central to local levels and encourage all relevant agencies to get involved, such as those dealing with polices, market management, scientific technology, agriculture, and health care and along with local organisations in order to maximize the use of human resources and save costs.

The department also asked localities to mobilise available resources to better implement the work. Simple tests can be carried out at the district level while complicated ones should be implemented at the provincial level. Management agencies should promptly publish the result of tests in the mass media and destroy all substandard products.

It is difficult to prevent all businesses from producing counterfeit products and imitations. Thus if inspectors find fakes on the market, they will destroy them and publish information about it through mass media, Mr Nhien says.

Do Gia Phan, vice chairman and general secretary of the Standards and Consumer Protection Association says that more than ever consumers must know how to protect themselves by buying fresh and safe food at reliable shops. They should know how to preserve food during the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year Festival (Tet) to ensure their own health and that of relatives.

Nguyen Xuan Qua, director of Bao Ngoc Company says that there are a lot of counterfeit products and imitations on the market so relevant agencies must regularly report this through mass media to help consumers choose safe products and boycott fakes.

Producers should be conscientious and see ensuring food hygiene and safety as their duty and responsibility towards the community.

Bao Ngoc company imports input materials from overseas or reputable domestic companies labeled with expiration dates deadline and addresses, Mr Qua reaffirms. All processes ranging from storing materials, production, and preservation to selling on the market meet food hygiene and safety standards. All products have a clear brand name and expiration date.