Relevant agencies have taken numerous measures to monitor and inspect production and transportation facilities, thereby meeting the demand for safe food consumption during the Tet holiday.
The Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that it has coordinated with relevant agencies to establish 9 working groups to inspect and manage animal slaughterhouses and veterinary hygiene inspections in 17 provinces and cities.
At the same time, it organized 2 training courses to improve professional skills for 80 officers working in slaughter control, veterinary hygiene inspection and food safety.
The Department of Animal Health concurrently informed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development about its collaboration with responsible agencies to conduct inspections, implement preventive measures, and rigorously address instances of the transportation and trade of animals and animal products that fail to meet quality standards as well as the illegal importation of animal products from foreign countries into Vietnam.
The Department of Animal Health has addressed the matter of regulating imported meat by recommending the issuance of Circular 04. Furthermore, it will persist in evaluating all regulations pertaining to countries that export food to the Vietnamese market, ensuring adherence to the standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health. Specially, it will take heed of issues including epidemics, food safety and traceability.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also said that the central inter-disciplinary steering committee on food safety has issued a plan to ensure food safety for the Lunar New Year and the festive 2025 aiming to minimize food poisoning incidents during the Tet holiday.
This initiative aims to enhance interdisciplinary inspections and evaluations from the central to local levels, particularly targeting high-consumption product groups during the Tet holiday and festivals that present significant risk factors. It will also focus on food processing villages, areas with border crossings and major urban centers.
It will be carried out from December 20, 2024 to March 25, 2025 across the country.
