Focus on ensuring food safety and hygiene in tourist areas and spots during peak season

Entering the peak months of tourism activities, the issue of ensuring food safety and hygiene (FSH) is given special attention by departments, sectors, localities and accommodation and food service establishments in the province. This not only contributes to bringing tourists a safe and complete vacation but also contributes to building the destination brand.

Focus on ensuring food safety and hygiene in tourist areas and spots during peak season Ensuring food safety from the stage of selecting ingredients to preparing dishes is especially focused on by The Palm Puluong Homestay & Restaurant (Thanh Lam commune, Ba Thuoc).

Pu Luong Community Ecotourism Area is where most of the accommodation facilities and restaurants in Ba Thuoc district are concentrated. According to statistics, there are currently nearly 80 accommodation facilities here, which can accommodate up to 1,500 guests/day and night; along with about 400 local workers serving at these facilities. In fact, on weekends and holidays, the room occupancy rate at this tourist area reaches 80 - 100%.

To ensure food safety, Ba Thuoc district has issued a plan, increased propaganda, and raised awareness for food producers, processors, traders, and consumers. In addition, inspection teams for food production and trading establishments in the management area have been established according to the inter-sectoral food safety inspection plan, ensuring no overlap with the provincial inspection and testing teams. In particular, the inspection team has full members, expertise, and authority, prepares relevant documents, technical equipment for sampling, rapid testing tools at the scene, strictly and promptly handles violations of the law in food production, trading, and advertising. Along with that, training courses are organized to enhance the role and responsibility of state management agencies on food safety in directing, operating, and raising awareness, knowledge, and correct practices on food safety for food producers, traders, and consumers. Promote propaganda, introduction, promotion, and connection of production and consumption of safe agricultural products and food to households and tourism service businesses in Pu Luong community eco-tourism area.

The owner of The Palm Puluong Homestay & Restaurant (Thanh Lam commune, Ba Thuoc) Nguyen Thai Son said: “Ensuring food safety not only contributes to bringing tourists a complete and meaningful vacation, but we also determine this as a vital factor for the business. Every year, our management team and employees participate in food safety training courses, food processing techniques... At the same time, we sign a commitment to ensure food safety; arrange a place to collect and treat waste according to regulations; have separate processing, preservation and use tools for fresh food and processed food; have separate books and cabinets to store food samples according to regulations... In addition, with a relatively large supply of food and agricultural products ensuring quality in the district, we contribute to bringing tourists delicious and safe meals”.

At Hai Hoa marine eco-tourism area (Nghi Son town), there are currently nearly 40 accommodation establishments and dozens of restaurants providing food services. During peak times, on average, each day, accommodation and food establishments here consume tons of various types of seafood. Accordingly, in preparation for this year's sea tourism season, restaurant and hotel owners have proactively surveyed and signed supply contracts with units and individuals raising seafood in the town and other coastal localities. Importing goods is done daily to ensure fresh and safe food sources.

Mr. Tran Anh Duc, manager of Tu Quy restaurant (C-C3 street) said: “Our facility has a total area of over 500m2, during peak hours the restaurant can serve up to 300 diners. Along with reasonable prices, the preparation of delicious dishes and ensuring food safety is always the top priority of the restaurant, because this is one of the extremely important factors in building trust with tourists. The restaurant has signed contracts with local suppliers, providing fresh seafood daily to serve tourists. In which, the selection of input materials is strictly controlled; implementing a one-way kitchen process (the kitchen is designed in order from input materials to finished products); the dining room, tables and chairs are clean, there are enough toilets and sinks for customers; there are cabinets to store food samples according to regulations...”.

Identifying food safety as one of the business criteria to attract tourists to tourist areas and spots in Nghi Son town, from the beginning of 2023, the People's Committee of the town has directed localities with tourist areas and spots to develop plans to ensure food safety. At the same time, coordinate with relevant departments and branches to inspect establishments for business licenses, certificates of establishments meeting food safety conditions (establishments subject to issuance of certificates of food safety conditions), health examination records of establishment owners and people directly in contact with food, list of food safety knowledge requirements of people in contact with food; have complete records of raw materials, additives, processing aids, records of water sources used for processing, 3-step food inspection books... At the same time, guide restaurant and hotel owners to properly implement food safety regulations such as health examinations, updating food safety knowledge...

With the synchronous implementation of solutions, in which ensuring food safety and hygiene is given special attention by all levels, sectors, localities and food service establishments, during the recent April 30 and May 1 holidays, the whole province welcomed nearly 1.2 million visitors, becoming the locality leading in the number of visitors nationwide during this holiday. It is noteworthy that food safety and hygiene is ensured in tourist areas and destinations during this holiday, with no serious incidents related to food poisoning. From June, tourist areas and destinations in Thanh Hoa province will enter the peak summer season, continuing to welcome large groups of domestic and international visitors. Accordingly, the synchronous implementation of solutions to ensure food safety and hygiene will be an important factor for Thanh Hoa tourism to continue to make its mark, achieving the goal of welcoming over 12 million visitors in 2023.

Article and photos: Hoai Anh

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