Following the recent police dismantling of a counterfeit milk powder production and distribution network at Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Company and Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Company, the Ministry of Health yesterday affirmed its routine inspection protocols for production facilities.
The Ministry of Health announced that the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security has initiated a case regarding the fake milk powder ring. The Ministry of Health stated it has been and will continue to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security on professional matters to ensure the case is handled according to the law and to thoroughly investigate the responsibilities of involved organizations and individuals.
The Ministry of Health remains steadfast in its efforts to prevent unsafe, counterfeit, and substandard food, according to Head Tran Viet Nga of the Vietnam Food Safety Authority. This commitment is reflected in the consistent issuance and implementation of legal documents governing food safety within the Ministry’s jurisdiction. Food safety management is outlined in the Food Safety Law, which assigns responsibilities across multiple ministries as well as local people's committees across the country. Notably, the Clause 5 in Article 64 of the Food Safety Law designates the Ministry of Health as the lead agency in combating counterfeit food and addressing commercial fraud in food distribution and trade.
According to the leader of the Vietnam Food Safety Authority, most of the foods that are self-declared and the four groups of foods that need stricter control must have their product declarations registered with the competent state agency before being put into circulation on the market.
She added that businesses are granted the right to declare their products in order to streamline administrative processes. However, when making such declarations, businesses must pledge to fully adhere to food safety laws and assume full responsibility for the legality of the declaration documents, as well as the quality and food safety of the declared products.
Along with that, Decree 15/2018/ND-CP also clearly stipulates the responsibilities of ministries, agencies and localities for the management of specific food groups and the responsibilities in inspection, examination and handling of violations.
Specifically, Clause 1 of Article 40 in Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP assigns provincial people's committees the responsibility for state management of food safety within their areas. These committees are accountable to the Government for ensuring local food safety, enforcing food safety regulations, and addressing violations in accordance with the law. They also bear legal and governmental responsibility in the event of food safety breaches occurring under their authority.
Regarding the post-inspection of products after announcement, the Ministry of Health, as the standing member of the Central Inter-sectoral Steering Committee on Food Safety, annually develops and issues a post-inspection plan for food production and trading establishments as a basis for ministries, agencies and localities to develop and implement their plans. Moreover, they have also coordinated with other related agencies s to strictly handle false advertising and deception of consumers.
Last but not least, the Ministry of Health's specialized agencies have entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security to strengthen efforts in combating food safety violations, particularly in cases involving counterfeit food or the use of banned substances.
Meanwhile, Chairman Tran Quang Trung of the Vietnam Dairy Association, former Director of the Department of Food Safety, said that Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company are not members of the Vietnam Dairy Association. The fake and poor quality milk products of these two companies mostly focus on products for children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with underlying diseases.
Using online platforms like e-commerce sites, social media, and livestreams, these two companies aggressively market milk products as "miracle drugs" that enable easy consumption, posing challenges for authorities seeking to regulate and monitor such claims.
The production and trade of fake milk has lost the trust of consumers, seriously affected genuine milk production enterprises, and affected the development of the Vietnamese dairy industry. To protect the health of consumers, protect the interests of genuine businesses, and help the Vietnamese dairy industry develop sustainably, the Vietnam Dairy Association hopes that the Ministry of Public Security and related ministries and agencies will continue to direct the strengthening of management, inspection, post-inspection, investigation, detection and destruction of chains and groups producing and trading fake and poor-quality milk nationwide.
