A report showed that 80% of the vegetables being supplied came from six local suppliers in the central region, but the city's agencies could test the produce of only two of these for the presence of pesticides.

Da Nang officials warned the departments of heath, agriculture and rural development, industry and trade and environment police, saying that stricter measures were needed to implement long-term examinations and checks on food quality at super markets, wholesale markets, slaughter houses and suppliers.

Illustrative photo.

"Stricter examinations and prolonged control must be conducted by different agencies from this month, when the demand of goods and food peaks," Vice-Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Dang Viet Dung said.

"All supermarkets in the city have to commit to provide safe food of good quality from reliable and tested suppliers. They (suppliers and processing centres) should be warned that intentional use of toxic and banned agents in food processing is considered as murder," Dung said at a meeting on food safety control.

He said the city had asked the agriculture and rural development department to prepare a project on food safety control that helps to plan safe food supply chains from farms to restaurants.

He asked agencies to remove all street markets and restaurants with poor hygiene to eliminate the risk of food poisoning.

(Source: VNA)