Hanoi strengthens food safety inspection
The Hanoi People’s Committee has directed the strict control of food origin and production to ensure food safety.
Accordingly, all stages, from production to distribution, will be inspected. Food sellers are required to have means to preserve their products.
The city will continue realising the Prime Minister’s instruction on strengthening the State management responsibility over food safety, consolidating food safety inspection teams at local levels and increasing certification of food safety and food safety facilities.
Management of local wholesale markets will be tightened while the role of inter-sector inspection teams in ensuring food safety in collective canteens, and street food will be enhanced.
The municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been asked to control production input and grant food safety certificates for eligible facilities.
Hanoi has 7.5 million people, 20 trade centres, 12 super markets, 460 traditional markets and 454 wet markets.
Around 800 – 1,000 tonnes of meat, 340 – 400 tonnes of aquatic products, 2,500 tonnes of fruit and vegetable are consumed everyday. However, local production can only meet 60% of food demand and 18% of fruit and vegetable demand. The rest is filled by goods from other localities and imports.
Many suburban areas have been zoned off for producing safe vegetables for inner-city areas. However, shortcomings remain in management of safe food production, distribution and consumption.
Inspection results show that pesticide residues have been found in 11 vegetable samples in 110 production facilities across Hanoi.