The food market to serve the traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet) and spring festivals afterwards is now recording a bustling vibe with various kinds of products to satisfy a soaring public demand but also poses a high risk of food safety and hygiene violations. So as to protect consumers’ health, like those nationwide, Da Nang’s relevant agencies have taken many proper measures, including increase surprise inspections and checks over the operation of food producing and trading establishments throughout the city, to prevent dirty and poor quality food from being taken to consumers.

Da Nang police inspect a bread making facility in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District Photo: L.H

Many violations detected

Just for hefty profit, some food production facilities have been found using raw materials and additives of unknown origin, which do not guarantee the quality of food processing.

In addition, food service establishments do not guarantee the food production process according to the one-way principle from input materials to final products whilst persons involved in processing food do not meet the requirements on food safety and hygiene as prescribed.

Therefore, within a short time of the peak inspection drive, functional forces discovered many food safety and hygiene violators.

For instance, on December 16, 2021, through their surprise raid over a craft wine production and trading facility located in Hoa Xuan Ward, Cam Le District, functional forces caught red-handed this venue committing many violations such as having no certificate proving its food safety compliances and nor production or business licences, and other relevant papers.

On December 21, 2021, a ‘cha’ (meat paste) production facility based in Thach Thang Ward, Hai Chau District failed to show a certificate proving its food safety compliances to functional forces. Also, its employees did not wearing face masks and specilised hats whilst processing food.

Meanwhile, some food establishments have gone against food safety and hygiene regulations with such violations as insects and harmful animals penetrating into food processing, trading and preserving areas, storing food with unsanitary equipment, tools and materials, employees failing to wear face masks, hats and gloves when handling cooked foods, failing to comply or improperly complying with the rules on storing food samples.

Ensuring food safety and hygiene during producing, processing and trading progresses

Local interdisciplinary inspections will mainly target on the producers of items with a high consumption rate during Tet. The collection of food samples from these establishments will be conducted in order to identify whether or not they meet food safety and hygiene regulations

Senior Colonel Nguyen Thi Bich Lan, the Head of Ngu Hanh Son District Police pledged that her unit will actively coordinate with functional agencies to fight against crimes of smuggling and producing fake, counterfeit and poor-quality goods and those with unknown origin in an attempt to avoid food poisoning cases for the sake of the people's health.

According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Vinh, Head of the Environmental Police Division under the Da Nang Police Station, during the peak period running from December 15, 2021 to February 14, 2022, professional forces are strictly handling violations of environmental laws, illegal mining for instance.

With regard to food safety, her agency will strictly handle cases using some banned substances, raw materials and food additives of unknown origin as well as trading in products with poor quality. Also, such other violations as illegal wildlife trade and consumption will suffer from heavy penalties.

Reporting by LE HUNG – Translating by A. THU