Mr Minh said that the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on April 3, 2007 informed the Vietnam Health Ministry’s Department for Food Hygiene and Safety that a batch of Chinsu sauces made by the Vitecfood company imported into Finland had been found to contain excessive amounts of 3-monoclo-1.2-propandiol (3-MCPD). The Health Ministry asked the Food Hygiene and Safety Department and relevant agencies to test 26 samples of Chinsu sauce on the domestic market, but no 3-MCPD was detected. In addition, the inspection delegation also tested 221 samples of other sauces and products produced by Vitecfood, other than the Chinsu brands. 99 of these samples were found to contain 3-MCPD, including 82 samples exceeding permitted levels of the carcinogen 3-MCPD according to the Health Ministry’s regulations.

The Health Deputy Minister admitted that management capacity of the Health Ministry and local agencies is far from meeting standards for food hygiene and safety. The Health Ministry will intensify measures to promote information dissemination on food hygiene and safety, improve management work, implement legal regulations on trading activities, reprimand violators and increase investment in order to meet major requirements for food hygiene and safety at all lelvels. The Ministry will also make a report on issues relating to sauces containing 3-MCPD and food hygiene and safety work to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, Mr Minh said.

The medical sector will intensify management work on food hygiene and safety effectively at all levels, increase inspection on food pollution and poisoning, promote the research and application of science and technology in food hygiene and safety, and boost international cooperation in this field.