MC Phuong Thao and guests

MC Phuong Thao: Greetings to all of you! You are watching the Online Talkshow on Thai Nguyen Province Portal brought to you by the Provincial Information Center. Ladies and gentlemen, the issue of food safety directly impacts human health, making food safety and hygiene a matter of significant concern for governments and the general population. However, in reality, beyond the bright facade, the picture of food safety assurance still holds many dark areas that require attention. In light of this, the provincial official website is hosting an online talkshow with the theme "Ensuring Food Safety - A Shared Responsibility”.

We would like to introduce the guests participating in today's talkshow: Mr. Ta Dinh Dung, Director of Thai Nguyen Market Management Department; Mr. Vu Van Phan, Head of Thai Nguyen Province Sub-Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Quality Management; Mr. Ly Van Canh, Head of Food Hygiene and Safety Department, Thai Nguyen Department of Health.

Once again, we would like to express our gratitude to our guests for joining our program today. To our distinguished guests and our viewers, the threat to food safety can be right before our eyes and can have significant repercussions on human health. Let's now watch a brief video clip.

MC Phuong Thao: The images we have just shown are likely to instill a sense of deep concern among consumers. The recent case that occurred at Dong Quang Market in Thai Nguyen City is undoubtedly causing a great deal of worry for consumers. Directly involved in addressing this issue on behalf of the market management authorities, what is your assessment of the hazardous nature of the recently discovered case, Mr. Ta Dinh Dung?

Mr. Ta Dinh Dung: Through our inspection and handling of the situation, we discovered nearly 3 tons of contaminated food at Dong Quang Market, which has stirred a significant amount of attention and outrage from the public. We all know that the Party and the State have established policies to develop the well-being of our people, both in terms of physical and mental health. To achieve these goals, we must have a safe and clean food environment, increase the average lifespan and ensure that people live healthy lives. Incidents like this jeopardize the health of our people in the short and long term and they also impact future generations. Organizations and individuals who violate these standards must be condemned and appropriately dealt with.

Mr. Ta Dinh Dung, Director of Thai Nguyen Market Management Department

MC Phuong Thao: Every year, while we may not witness highly severe incidents, we understand that the sectors involved in food safety management have been actively enhancing inspection and supervision efforts, leading to the discovery and handling of various cases. This question is for all three of our representatives from the respective sectors. We are interested in understanding how you are promoting awareness, inspection and monitoring and what solutions you are implementing. First, we'd like to hear from the Agriculture sector and I invite Mr. Vu Van Phan first.

Mr. Vu Van Phan: First of all, we know that regarding food safety management, Thai Nguyen People's Committee issued Decision No. 12/2020/QD-UBND dated May 26, 2020 on food safety regulations, which assigns responsibilities of relevant departments and branches and the state management of food safety at district and commune levels. Here we need to focus on: 

Firstly, each branch has clearly assigned tasks. According to Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP dated February 2, 2018, which implements certain provisions of the Food Safety Law, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development manages products and goods as specified in Appendix III. Recently, we have effectively implemented the directives from the provincial interdisciplinary steering committee by increasing awareness campaigns and disseminating legal documents related to food safety.

Secondly, we have organized multiple training sessions and workshops, offering guidance on implementing good agricultural practices, such as VietGAP and organic farming. We've intensified inspections of agricultural production and processing facilities throughout the province. Notably, we have come across cases where businesses, such as convenience stores, were selling products with unclear origins or without proper labeling. Imported goods lacked supplementary labels. Furthermore, during the production and processing of food, certain establishments did not meet safety standards, for example, trash containers without lids or storage areas with pests and insects, all of which affect product quality. We have documented these cases and processed them in accordance with the law.

Mr. Vu Van Phan, Director of Thai Nguyen Province Sub-Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Quality Management

MC Phuong Thao: Now, I would like to address the healthcare sector. Given your role and responsibilities, how has the inspection and monitoring efforts been enhanced in the healthcare sector, Mr. Ly Van Canh?

Mr. Ly Van Canh: According to Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP, the healthcare sector is the permanent agency of the provincial interdisciplinary Steering Committee on food safety, which operates from the central level to local levels. Similar to other provinces, the Thai Nguyen Provincial Health Department has been tasked by the Provincial People's Committee to serve as the permanent agency for the provincial interdisciplinary Steering Committee on food safety. To proactively manage food safety, starting from early 2023, the Provincial Health Department provided recommendations for the provincial interdisciplinary steering committee on food safety to issue Plan No. 23/KH-UBND on March 3, 2023, which lays out specific tasks and responsibilities for each sector, unit and locality in conducting food safety inspections. This is to prevent overlap and omissions in management. Inspection and monitoring tasks have been delegated to each sector and locality based on the hierarchical management system and specific timing, areas and sectors that each department and locality manages. For example, this included the Lunar New Year and the recent Mid-Autumn Festival. By summarizing and monitoring reports from various departments and units, we have conducted inspections at over 35,000 establishments that violated administrative regulations on food safety, resulting in over 300 million VND in fines collected and over 200 million VND worth of products being disposed of.

For the health sector, in addition to providing recommendations to the provincial interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety, the healthcare sector has taken the initiative to develop plans and guide districts and cities in regularly conducting inspections and monitoring of food safety at establishments under the management of the healthcare sector. This includes proactive inspections and monitoring of food service establishments, such as collective kitchens, boarders' kitchens, restaurants, food stores, street food vendors and businesses producing and selling bottled drinks and ready-to-drink beverages. Currently, we are intensifying inspections and source tracing of food in collective kitchens located in factories, companies, industrial zones and schools within the province. We provide guidance to schools with boarders' kitchens through official correspondence, emphasizing the strict enforcement of contracts and supplier evaluation to ensure that food and food ingredients used in schools can be traced back to their sources. Meat and meat products must be controlled and inspected by veterinary authorities.

Mr. Ly Van Canh, Head of Food Hygiene and Safety Sub-Department, Thai Nguyen Department of Health

MC Phuong Thao: As a proactive force in detecting and addressing violations, could you please elaborate on the measures taken by your department in terms of inspections, detecting and handling violations, Mr. Dung?

Mr. Ta Dinh Dung: Thai Nguyen Market Management Department formulates regular and specific inspection plans every year, which includes a section on food safety. In 2023, our market management teams developed three specific plans related to food safety. We handled nearly 800 cases, including 161 related to food safety and 57 related to quality control. We imposed fines amounting to over 304 million VND and confiscated nearly 400 million VND worth of non-compliant goods. Through our inspection and handling work, we have recognized the need to enhance efforts at the local level and within businesses. To achieve this, leaders and officials in each organization should intensify their monitoring and enforcement activities, taking responsibility for their areas with a high responsibility.

MC Phuong Thao: Through the insights shared by our esteemed guests, we can see that intensifying inspections and checks has played a role in controlling and ensuring food safety and hygiene from production and cultivation to consumption, processing and reaching consumers. Nevertheless, we are aware that the management of food safety and hygiene still faces various challenges. From the perspective of your sector, starting from the grassroots, in terms of cultivation and farming, what are the current challenges, Mr. Vu Van Phan?

Mr. Vu Van Phan: As we all know, the Agriculture sector manages the entire process from cultivation and care to processing, preservation and bringing agricultural, forestry and aquaculture products to the market. The scope of managing this sector is vast and that leads to certain challenges. According to the Agriculture sector's statistics, there are currently 7,579 establishments involved in agricultural, forestry and aquaculture product production and trade in the province. Of these, 126 are under provincial management, 465 are under district management and 6,988 are under commune-level management. The majority of these establishments fall under the commune-level management category, mainly consisting of small, individual producers without fixed business locations, making the management of these small-scale producers quite challenging.

Currently, our inspection and supervision are relatively effective, but the local management personnel are limited. For instance, the district-level management of food safety is delegated to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development or the Department of Economic Affairs. However, these agencies have limited capacity in terms of staff dedicated to food safety monitoring and consultation. At the commune level, the responsibility for food safety management often falls on personnel responsible for culture and social affairs and the dual roles they handle can result in limitations in food safety management, so the local management still faces many difficulties. Furthermore, investment in scientific research and development is insufficient and investment in production and business is limited, which affects the quality and productivity of agricultural products. The management of local establishments, particularly at the commune level, faces difficulties since some of these establishments do not operate regularly and may not report to the government, thereby presenting challenges in managing agricultural, forestry and aquaculture establishments in the area.

MC Phuong Thao: What about the health sector, Mr. Ly Van Canh? At the processing stage, have food processing establishments and businesses genuinely taken responsibility for ensuring food safety and hygiene? What are the current challenges in the sector?

Mr. Ly Van Canh: Ensuring food safety and hygiene nowadays requires strict management and control at each stage, from production to processing. We must go beyond the concept of dirty or clean food and focus on the concept of safe food. Article 28, Clause 7 of the Food Safety Law clearly states: "The head of a unit with a collective kitchen is responsible for ensuring food safety and hygiene." During inspections, monitoring and supervision, most establishments take food safety and hygiene conditions at their premises quite seriously and comply with them. However, the current food safety situation is characterized by the widespread presence of unsafe food in the market, making it difficult for consumers to choose safe food. Many consumers have difficulty selecting products that meet safety standards due to a lack of information regarding product quality and origin. Some food producers and businesses continue to use banned substances in farming, breeding, primary processing and food processing. Non-compliance with strict processing procedures or contamination from an unsanitary environment or the use of domestic wastewater and animal waste for irrigation contaminates vegetables, tubers and fruits with significantly higher levels of heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms than permitted. Additionally, many processing and slaughter facilities fail to meet hygiene standards and do not comply with state regulations. Therefore, the management and traceability of food sources remain challenging. Various sectors, levels of government and localities need to provide guidance and collaborate to ensure that food products reaching consumers are adequately controlled and safe.

The provincial interdisciplinary food safety inspection team inspected at the food processing area of Hoa Trung Kindergarten, Hoa Trung commune, Dong Hy district

MC Phuong Thao:  In the clip at the beginning of the program, we reviewed cases of food safety and hygiene violations, especially the recent case discovered and handled at Dong Quang Market in Thai Nguyen City. A small trader with decades of experience in trading, driven by immediate profit, was willing to sell dirty food. Public opinion raises the question: is the current enforcement insufficient to prevent these violations at their source, Mr. Ta Dinh Dung?

Mr. Ta Dinh Dung: Violations related to food safety and hygiene are subject to sanctions under the Criminal Code, administrative penalties and fines. Serious violations related to the use of unsafe food, prohibited substances, products from animals affected by diseases, unauthorized preservatives and other substances are subject to imprisonment and fines. Other violations are subject to penalties as specified in the decree on administrative penalties. In the case of Dong Quang Market, the violations were fined in accordance with Article 12 of Decree 2018 on administrative violations, with the maximum fine being VND 100 million. This decree specifies fines ranging from 1 to 2 times the value of the violated goods. For individuals, the fine is not more than VND 100 million and for organizations, it's not more than VND 200 million. Therefore, these violations are subject to the legal regulations. However, public opinion deems these penalties to be lenient. It might be necessary to adjust the sanctions to impose stricter penalties, such as prohibiting these individuals from practicing their professions or engaging in transactions related to food safety and hygiene after they have been fined or imprisoned.

Thai Nguyen province Market Management Team inspected at Dong Quang market and detected and handled a severe food safety and hygiene violation case in September

MC Phuong Thao:  Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, Directive 17/CT-TW of the Central Committee Secretariat on enhancing security and food safety in new circumstances sets forth many requirements and responsibilities for various levels and sectors. In this forum, we would like to hear your insights on effective strategies for implementing the demands outlined in Directive 17. First, we would like to invite Mr. Vu Van Phan?

Mr. Vu Van Phan:  First of all, to seriously implement Directive 17 of the Party Central Secretariat on ensuring security and food safety in the new situation. For the agricultural sector in the coming time, there will be a number of solutions as follows:

Firstly, we will focus on intensifying propaganda and awareness campaigns. By propaganda, we mean disseminating all the legal regulations concerning food safety and hygiene to ensure that organizations, individuals and the general public are well-informed and can comply with these regulations.

Secondly, we will continue to organize advanced training sessions to guide people in adopting cutting-edge scientific and technical methods. We aim to promote the adoption of good agricultural practices, such as VietGap standard and organic farming methods.

Thirdly, we will strengthen post-inspection work with agricultural product producers, processors and businesses, particularly emphasizing the importance of source tracing. The Ministry of Agriculture requires all registered businesses and those issued food safety certificates to establish source tracing to ensure transparency in the origin of their products. If a safety issue arises, we should be able to trace back to the source and identify where the safety breach occurred.

Fourthly, we need to encourage enterprises and organizations to invest in the agricultural sector based on the current provincial policies, with the aim of creating centralized raw material zones to ensure safety and quality. Only with this approach can we produce high-quality products.

Fifthly, we continue to strengthen the inspection and manage the facilities in accordance with the regulations of the Provincial People's Committee.

Sixthly, in my opinion, in the event of a food safety breach, we must coordinate with the healthcare sector to thoroughly investigate the causes, trace the sources and recall unsafe products. Strict actions should be taken against those who violate the law.

Thai Nguyen Province Sub-Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Quality Management signed a cooperation agreement with Tuyen Quang Province Sub-Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Quality Management

MC Phuong Thao: What about health work? How does the healthcare sector plan to implement the requirements of Directive 17 on improving capacity to prevent and proactively handle food poisoning and diseases transmitted through food, Mr. Ly Van Canh?

Mr. Ly Van Canh: To solve the current food safety and hygiene problem, a comprehensive approach is needed from three angles, which include mechanisms - policies, Socio-economy and technology as well as actions from the government, producers and consumers.

Firstly, we need to strictly and effectively implement state management responsibilities for food safety according to clear and delegated responsibilities, avoiding overlap, redundancy and omissions.

Secondly, it is important to intensify communication and public awareness campaigns, disseminating legal knowledge regarding food safety and highlighting advanced models and examples of safe food production and processing.

Thirdly, we need to strengthen inspection, supervision, post-inspection and source tracing of food products, as well as impose strict and public penalties on organizations and individuals who violate food safety regulations. It is essential to enhance inspections and checks based on denunciations to promptly detect and limit violations.

Fourthly, we must proactively take samples to monitor potential contamination in food, issue warnings, prevent unsafe or untraceable food products from entering the market.

Fifthly, for producers and consumers: Food producers and traders must take responsibility for their own products under the law. Packaged food products must be declared, while other products must have a declared origin and traceability when required. Consumers should improve their understanding of product quality, especially regarding food products. They need to exercise caution when choosing food items to ensure hygiene, traceability and avoid purchasing low-quality products that could negatively impact their health. Consumers should also report any violations of food safety to the relevant authorities for prompt resolution.

Leaders of communes and towns of Phu Binh district signed a commitment to ensure food safety in 2023

MC Phuong Thao: Resolutely fight, prevent and strictly handle organizations, individuals, production and business establishments that violate regulations on security and food safety; proactively prevent and combat negative behaviors and group interests in the field of security and food safety is also a very important content emphasized in Directive 17. Regarding the promotion of detection and handling of violations, what solutions will be implemented by the sector in the coming time, Mr. Ta Dinh Dung?

Mr. Ta Dinh Dung: Thai Nguyen Province People's Committee decided to establish an interdisciplinary Steering Committee on food safety, in which the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee acts as the Head of the Committee and the Permanent Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee acts as the Deputy Head; leaders of relevant departments and branches are members. This demonstrates the leadership's concern for food safety. Additionally, the Market Management Department is the standing agency for Steering Committee 389. As the Steering Committee for the prevention of fraud and trade within the locality, we also have responsibilities regarding food safety. Therefore, there are two steering committees related to food safety. Each committee has a different standing agency, with the Food Safety Committee managed by the Department of Health and Steering Committee 389 managed by the Market Management Department. I think that this work requires coordinated cooperation among departments, enhancing the responsibilities of each sector following the Government’s Decree No. 15, which involves food safety in the content of various industries. As for the Market Management Department, we continue to build annual specialized inspection plans for food safety.

For example, we recently conducted inspections of food and confectionery items sold near schools to students. These are also food-related issues. These matters require interdisciplinary cooperation. Market management officials frequently participate in interdisciplinary inspection teams and lead numerous inspections to ensure a more civilized market and improved food safety.

The direction to ensure food safety is regularly concerned by Thai Nguyen Province Steering Committee on Food Safety and Hygiene

MC Phuong Thao: Directive 17 of the Central Secretariat determines: "Security and food safety are important issues, both urgent and long-term; directly affecting people's health and the quality of national races" and emphasized the requirements to party committees, party organizations, authorities, Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations and mass organizations in ensuring security and food safety in the new situation. This emphasis of the Central Secretariat once again affirms that ensuring security and food safety is not only the responsibility of any organization or individual but also the responsibility of the whole society. That is also the message that we want to send to the audience through today's Talkshow. Thank you again to the guests who accepted our invitation, thank you for your interest, goodbye and see you soon.