This year’s Action Month for Food Safety is themed “Ensuring food safety and preventing food poisoning in catering services and street food.”
Attending the ceremony were Ms. Dao Hong Lan, Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Health, and Standing Deputy Head of the Central Intersectoral Steering Committee on Food Safety; and Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Manh Cuong, emphasized that Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on breakthrough solutions to enhance public healthcare clearly identifies food safety as a fundamental and strategic measure in improving physical fitness and public health. It is both an urgent and long-term task in the comprehensive care of the population’s health.
He noted that Ho Chi Minh City currently has a population of over 15 million people and 168 wards, communes, and special zones. Despite considerable efforts, food safety management on such a large scale still poses potential risks.
Therefore, he called on departments, sectors, and local authorities to implement a range of concrete and critical measures to ensure food safety and protect public health.
In particular, emphasis was placed on further raising awareness and enhancing propaganda works to encourage both consumers and business operators to comply with food safety regulations. Efforts should also be intensified in monitoring, inspection, detection, and handling of violations, along with the public disclosure of food safety breaches.
He stressed the need to promote greater transparency by publicly disclosing information on organizations and individuals violating food safety regulations as a means of warning and deterrence. At the same time, the role and accountability of leaders must be strengthened in ensuring effective food safety management.
The city will focus on developing and scaling up models of safe food supply chains, closely linked with the application of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
In addition, greater emphasis will be placed on enhancing coordination among agencies, localities, and units from the city level down to the grassroots level. The responsibilities of People’s Committees at the commune, ward, and special administrative unit levels will also be reinforced in exercising state management over food safety within their respective jurisdictions.
At the launching ceremony, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan affirmed that effectively ensuring food safety constitutes a fundamental pillar for improving the quality of human resources and promoting the country’s sustainable development.
The Ministry of Health also highly commended the achievements of Ho Chi Minh City in ensuring food safety in recent years.
However, in the face of increasingly complex food safety risks, strict monitoring of supply chains and raising awareness, as well as compliance among food service establishments and street food vendors, are of critical importance.
Notably, issues related to street food, collective kitchens, and school canteens have become pressing concerns, directly affecting public health.
Therefore, Dao Hong Lan affirmed that, during the drafting of the revised Law on Food Safety, the Ministry of Health will incorporate these matters into a dedicated chapter to ensure both effective management of food business establishments and the protection of consumers’ health.
In recent times, numerous food poisoning cases have been recorded across the country, affecting many people and occurring mainly at collective kitchens, schools, and street food outlets.
In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 36 food poisoning incidents were reported, an increase of 20 cases compared to the same period last year.
Notably, incidents involving 30 or more affected individuals accounted for 25 percent of the total, representing a high and concerning proportion with serious implications.
