Deputy PM asks for closed food supply chains

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday asked ministries to form closed supply chains involved in moving food products and services from supplier to customer at a conference in the government’s head office on food safety and hygiene.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam yesterday asked ministries to form closed supply chains involved in moving food products and services from supplier to customer at a conference in the government’s head office on food safety and hygiene.

He said that closed supply chains of planting, harvesting, transporting and processing were needed to ensure food safety and hygiene.

The Deputy PM who is also head of the Central Inter-sectorial Steering Committee on Food Safe and Hygiene proposed to place food safety testing equipment in markets in big cities where consumers can check food immediately after purchasing. He also reminded relevant agencies about ensuring food safety during the upcoming new lunar year.

At the conference, representatives of the Ministry of Health that in 2014 it set up five teams to inspect food  safety in markets in major areas and processing businesses. Inspection teams have handled and issued fines to more than 3,000 units.

They proposed the government to allow health inspector teams to conduct a pilot inspection of food safety and hygiene in wards, towns and villages of five major cities and provinces.

Meantime, market management forces also imposed penalties on over 9,000 violations, collecting fines of VND31 billion (US$1,449,535). Environmental investigation police nationwide also detected more than 21,000 violations and imposed fines.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that it had worked with local governments to form closed food supply chains and safe food provision to consumers in large cities.

The ministry also asked the Government to reopen Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program to address the matter of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits.

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