Throughout March, health inspectors have been conducting an investigation into the safety of dairy products in Hanoi and several provinces, a health official said.
Nguyen Van Nhien, inspection chief of the Vietnam Food Administrator – a subdivision of the Ministry of Health – said that each month in 2010, investigators will carry out inspections on a particular group of essential foods.
Milk-product quality was tested this month after inspectors took samples of both imported and domestically made powdered and liquid milk.
The samples were taken from Hanoi and northern Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son and Ha Nam provinces. In April, investigators will check dairy products in three other provinces.
Head of the Vietnam Food Administrator, Nguyen Cong Khan, said milk quality is not the same for all Vietnamese brands because many small companies produce their own products, especially in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Khan added that a draft measure on Food Hygiene and Safety has proposed to shut down food manufacturers that have committed four or more violations.
Truong Quoc Cuong, head of the Drug Administration of Vietnam, said March 28 that a check of drug prices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is also planned to be conducted from March 29 to April 15.
Supervisors will investigate pharmaceutical companies and foreign representative companies in Vietnam following reports that the US’s SP Pharmaceutical Company was encouraging doctors to promote two kinds of drugs to treat viral hepatitis and giving them up to VND500 million (US$26,300) monthly as commission.
The administration has also ordered the pharmaceutical company to provide a report on the issue.
