Food safety (food safety) is currently a burning issue of concern to the whole society. People are faced with dirty, unhygienic food in terms of quality and safety in processing and production.
Making rice cake, silkworm cake at Thu Dau Mot market
Detecting many violations
According to the statistics of the Provincial Market Management Department, in the "Month of Action for Food Safety", the Department together with localities have unexpectedly inspected 72 cases related to food safety and hygiene, detecting 21 violations with a total amount of money. fine is 71 million dong. Out of a total of 72 inspection cases, the provincial level detected 4 violations of trading in smuggled goods, failing to meet food safety conditions; District level detected 17 violations, handled 6 cases with a total fine of 64 million VND, reminded 3 establishments.
Together with the Provincial Market Management Department, the Steering Committees of Food Safety in districts, towns and cities have also carried out a series of inspections. Starting with Tan Uyen City, last year this locality has inspected more than 1.900 food production facilities, sanctioned 3 establishments for administrative violations with a total amount of more than 18 million dong. Interdisciplinary inspection teams in the city have performed more than 1.920 rapid tests, detecting 165 positive tests for glucose lipids and fillings in beef rolls, vegetarian rolls, spring rolls, yellow noodles.
Meanwhile, in Bau Bang district, in just 12 days of testing during the Food Safety Month, the District Food Safety Committee inspected 28 food business establishments, including 4 collective kitchens and 11 food service establishments. , 13 small businesses. Out of 28 inspected establishments, 5 establishments failed, 4 establishments were administratively sanctioned with a total amount of 10 million VND, 1 facility committed to close due to economic difficulties and could not afford to pay fines. Also through the inspection, the team took 18 food samples for testing, including 6 samples of vermicelli, 7 samples of spring rolls, 1 sample of dried vermicelli, 4 samples of sauerkraut. As a result, all 18 samples were negative for borax, formol or hypochloride.
According to members of the Food Safety Committee of Bau Bang district, most of the establishments are solidly built, clean, ventilated, easy to clean, have adequate processing tools, raw food is separate from cooked food, equipped with garbage containers in accordance with regulations. However, in some places of processing and trading, insects and harmful animals can enter, which cannot ensure to prevent cross-contamination, display, sell, and store food on unsanitary equipment and utensils. Meanwhile, in the collective kitchen at the company, the business owner does not regularly supervise the meal supplier in hygiene management.
In Dau Tieng district, the district Food Safety Committee inspected 49 establishments, 7 of which did not meet food safety conditions, and reminded 7 food service establishments that violated hygiene conditions.
Need 3 strategic solutions
In fact, currently, food poisoning cases are happening very complicatedly and there are many deaths because of eating unsafe foods.
According to Dr. Huynh Minh Chin, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, to solve the food safety problem, three strategic solutions are needed: Mechanism - policy; Socioeconomic; science and technology as well as drastic actions from authorities, producers and consumers. First of all, it is necessary to adjust the legal documents related to food safety to suit the situation of the country; overcome the situation of overlapping management that reduces the effectiveness of state management of legal documents related to food safety. In addition, it is necessary to have policies to prevent hazardous products from entering our country, causing adverse effects on people's health. The relevant competent authorities need to strengthen inspection and supervision of the activities of all production and business establishments (breeding, slaughtering animals and plants, cultivation, processing facilities, etc.), and severely sanction them. penalties for those who violate food hygiene and safety.
On the other hand, production and processing facilities also need to take measures to develop clean production, ensure food hygiene and safety in accordance with all standards assessed and certified by competent authorities. Manufacturers need to improve professional ethics in business, avoiding for profit that adversely affects consumers and the whole society. Consumers need to improve their understanding of the quality of goods, especially the quality of foods. People need to be more careful in choosing food to ensure hygiene, clear origin, avoid buying poor quality food, causing bad effects on health.
Recently, there have been a number of cases of food poisoning caused by Botulinum toxin produced by Clostridium Botulinum bacteria, which is a very powerful poison and there have been cases of death. Most cases of Clostridium Botulinum poisoning through improperly canned food at home, especially low-acid foods such as asparagus, green beans, beets, corn, canned meat... Department of Safety and Hygiene Provincial Food recommends that people need to "practice" food processing, only use food products and ingredients of clear origin, absolutely do not use canned products. expired, swollen, flattened, deformed, rusted, not intact or with unusual taste or color changes; eat cooked food, drink boiling water, give priority to eating freshly prepared, freshly cooked foods, do not pack foods yourself and let them last in non-freezing conditions. With fermented foods, packed or covered in the traditional way (such as pickles, bamboo shoots, pickled tomatoes…), it is necessary to ensure that they are sour and salty. When the food is not sour, it should not be eaten. When symptoms of Botulinum poisoning appear, people should immediately go to the nearest medical facility for timely diagnosis and treatment.
ROYAL LINH
