Bac Ninh: Tightening control and handling of unsafe food.

BAC NINH - Faced with the reality of food of unknown origin, smuggled goods, and substandard products still posing many risks, the Market Management force of Bac Ninh province has proactively launched a campaign and resolutely dealt with violations.

Since the beginning of the year, alongside the vast majority of establishments that strictly comply with the law, the trading of goods of unknown origin, smuggled food, expired food, or food that does not meet food safety standards has continued to occur.

Following the directives of the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial Steering Committee 389, the Provincial Market Management Department has developed a plan for specialized inspections of essential food items that pose a direct risk to people's health.

Market management officials inspect frozen food at Ngu Market (Nhan Thang commune).

Local market management teams have proactively monitored the market situation, coordinating with police, customs, and health forces to conduct surprise inspections at wholesale markets, warehouses, food businesses, and goods collection points at ports and depots.

As a result, in the first four months of the year, the unit coordinated with functional forces to inspect and handle more than 440 cases of violations of regulations in the business sector. The total amount of administrative fines, confiscated goods, goods awaiting processing, and destroyed goods... reached nearly 42.35 billion VND; the value of destroyed goods alone was nearly 29.4 billion VND. Notably, many violations of food safety were detected and prevented in a timely manner before the goods were put on the market for consumption.

In April, provincial market management forces discovered, confiscated, and destroyed numerous shipments of smuggled food, beverages, and confectionery of unknown origin, including: 500 bottles of foreign-made liquor; 20 kg of mixed imported vegetables; 35 kg of red apples and yellow pears, along with hundreds of kilograms of various types of fried dough sticks... Many of these products showed signs of directly affecting consumer health if circulated in the market.

For example, in Nenh ward, Market Management Team No. 2, in coordination with other functional forces, inspected a business establishment and discovered 650 kg of frozen animal products that were "three no's" (no origin, no invoice, no label). All the infringing goods were seized and destroyed according to regulations.

In Canh Thuy ward and Dong Viet commune, Market Management Team No. 1 discovered two businesses selling hundreds of packages of candy of unknown origin, with a total value of over 26 million VND.

Specifically, Market Management Team No. 7, in coordination with the police and relevant units, inspected a business establishment in Vo Cuong ward and discovered nearly 6.3 tons of smuggled sausages of foreign origin, lacking invoices and documents proving their legal origin, worth nearly 1 billion VND. The entire quantity of goods was stored in a warehouse, ready for distribution to various locations. The owner of the establishment was fined 115 million VND and ordered to destroy all confiscated goods.

Furthermore, in April alone, the provincial market management force discovered, confiscated, and destroyed numerous shipments of smuggled food, beverages, and confectionery of unknown origin, including: 500 bottles of foreign-made liquor; 35 kg of red apples and yellow pears, along with hundreds of kilograms of various types of fried dough sticks... Many of these products showed signs of directly affecting consumer health if circulated in the market.

Mr. Nguyen Van Sy, Team Leader of Market Management Team No. 7, said: “At the beginning of the year, consumer demand and festival activities increase, so some individuals take advantage of this to mix in substandard goods for sale. The team's stance is to strictly handle violations and force the destruction of all infringing goods to increase deterrence.”

Market Management Team No. 2, in coordination with the police force, destroyed a shipment of animals that lacked proper labeling and packaging as required by regulations.

Alongside inspection and enforcement activities, the Provincial Market Management Department places special emphasis on disseminating information and promoting food safety laws. Various methods of communication are employed, including distributing leaflets, displaying banners and posters, and providing information through media channels; businesses are also required to sign commitments not to trade goods of unknown origin.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien, a businesswoman selling processed food at Giau Market (Tu Son Ward), shared: "I believe that business owners must prioritize consumer health to maintain long-term reputation. Therefore, I only import and sell products with clear origins."

According to the head of the Provincial Market Management Department, in the second quarter, the unit continued to strengthen surprise inspections of food production and business establishments; assigning specific targets to market management teams for inspecting and handling food safety violations. At the same time, they promoted the signing of commitments with food businesses in the area. Those who have signed commitments but still intentionally violate the law will be severely punished according to the law.

Forecasts indicate that consumer demand will continue to increase during the summer and holidays, while the risk of food safety violations, counterfeit goods, and smuggled goods remains complex. Therefore, along with the decisive actions of authorities, raising awareness among businesses and consumers is considered a crucial solution to gradually combat unsafe food, contributing to maintaining commercial order and protecting public health.

Text and photos: Thanh Ngan

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/bac-ninh-siet-chat-kiem-soat-xu-ly-thuc-pham-khong-an-toan-postid445356.bbg