The dispatch was sent to the Departments of Health in provinces and cities nationwide, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety and the Food Safety Management Board of Da Nang City and Bac Ninh Province. Numerous people have been hospitalized due to recent serious food poisoning incidents.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Health requested that units and localities strictly conduct Directive No 17/CT-TTg dated April 13, 2020 of the Prime Minister on continuing to enhance the state management responsibilities for food safety in the new situation, notably responsibility of the heads of authorities at all levels when violations of food hygiene and safety rules occur in the areas under their management.
Furthermore, units and localities were required to strengthen inspection and supervision of food hygiene and safety at collective kitchens and facilities processing ready-to-eat food, producing, bottling and selling beverages, food service businesses, street food vendors and so on.
The mistry asked to strictly handle and suspend the establishments that do not ensure food hygiene and safety conditions, publicize violations and handling results on the media to timely alert producers, businesses and consumers.
By the end of April, the country recorded 24 cases of food poisoning with 835 infectious people and three deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.
Since the beginning of May, the Southern region has recorded several cases of food poisoning. Notably, 550 people in Dong Nai Province were hospitalized due to food poisoning cases from a bakery.
