The ensuring of food hygiene and safety for tourists is among the top concerns of Da Nang’s departments, sectors, localities and tourism service providers as the city is entering its peak tourist season. As recommended by the municipal authorities, consumers need to actively choose quality services and coordinate with relevant units to detect and denounce violations of food safety-related regulations in addition to drastic actions taken by functional bodies.

Food safety is always a top priority for businesses and catering establishments. IN THE PHOTO: A kitchen staff member at the Muong Thanh Luxury Da Nang Hotel is seen preparing food to serve diners. (Photo taken on August 4) Photo: XUAN DUNG

Proactive quality control

Vo Nguyen Giap seaside road is home to dozens of large seafood restaurants. Nguyen Van An, the manager of the Vua Tom Hum (King Lobster) seafood restaurant based in Son Tra District, said that his restaurant serves between 300 and 500 diners every day, so food hygiene and safety is always its top priority.

Seafood items at the restaurant are always kept fresh, and customers can choose their favourite fresh seafood in tanks. The restaurant always strictly complies with the city’s regulations about food hygiene and safety. Till date no violations of food hygiene and safety has been reported at the restaurant.

“During the peak tourist season, besides investing in infrastructure and ensuring reasonable prices, we are always conscious of guaranteeing food hygiene and safety. This helps to promote the restaurant's images, leaving an impression on dinners and contributing to building Da Nang into a safe, friendly and worth-visiting city”, said Mr. An.

Located near the My Khe Beach, in the peak tourist season, the Muong Thanh Luxury Da Nang Hotel located in Ngu Hanh Son District serves a daily average of about 1,000 tourists. Therefore, apart from ensuring the quality of services, the issue of food safety and hygiene is always the top priority of the hotel.

Mr. Le Canh Khiem, the hotel's chef, remarked the hotel was very strict in choosing food suppliers. The food is sourced from reputable suppliers to ensure that it is fresh, clean, without preservatives and transported to the hotel by refrigerated trucks.

Along with that, the cooking area is divided into 2 separate areas: a cold kitchen (vegetables, tubers, fruits) and a hot kitchen (meat, fish, seafood). In addition, the hotel’s kitchen staff wear full gloves, face masks, and hoods and ensure that sampling and storing food samples are carried out in accordance with the local regulations.

According to Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Minh, Head of Health Office of Son Tra District, the district has stepped up propaganda and dissemination of legal regulations and knowledge relating to food safety, food poisoning and food-borne illness for food production and trading establishments.

In addition, the district regularly handles timely information from the hotline related to tourism services in the area. If receiving any reports related to food quality, the locality will send functional bodies to recheck and handle in the shortest time, Mrs. Minh informed.

Handling food safety violations

According to Mr. Nguyen Tan Hai, Head of the municipal Food Safety Management Board, in order to prepare for this year's peak tourist season, since early April, the management board has coordinated with the municipal Department of Tourism to conduct inspection visits to restaurants and accommodation establishments to check the food safety quality there.

By identifying the safety of tourists' meals as one of the key issues during the peak tourist season, the municipal government has requested departments, branches and localities to ramp up their inspections to ensure food hygiene and safety during the holiday season.

According to municipal People's Committee Vice Chairwoman Ngo Thi Kim Yen, the city entered the peak tourist season when the prolonged hot weather is putting food safety at risk more often.

She, therefore, asked the city’s Food Safety Management Board to coordinate with the municipal Department of Tourism and relevant agencies to organise training courses about food safety for accommodation establishments, tourist attractions, restaurants, and hotels in the city.

Focus will be on inspecting, testing and sampling of food, as well as implementing evaluation and star rating according to the city’s food safety criteria framework.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG, XUAN DUNG - Translating by M.DUNG