Ensuring food safety in hot weather

Every summer, the hot weather not only causes fatigue and discomfort but also creates favorable conditions for bacteria and viruses to develop rapidly, making food very susceptible to spoilage and deterioration. This is also a time when there is a potential risk of food safety and hygiene. Therefore, it is necessary for functional sectors and people to strengthen the inspection and supervision of food quality, prevent the risk of poisoning and raise awareness and responsibility in preserving and choosing food.

For convenience, many people choose to buy pre-cooked food for daily meals.

Every evening, at a place selling roasted duck, roasted bird, and grilled meat on Tran Huy Lieu Street ( Nam Dinh City), the atmosphere of buying and selling is bustling, crowded with people getting off work. Next to a mobile roaster covered in grease is a low table containing dozens of roasted quails placed close to the edge of the crowded street. Occasionally, the afternoon wind blows through, blowing layers of sand and dust onto the table containing food without any protection. Next to it, another "store" is also selling boxes of pre-processed food. Each customer sits in a car waiting for their turn to buy. The sanitation worker pushes a garbage cart past, her hands quickly sweeping away the dust and trash, forcing customers who are buying food to step back and wait for the seller to put the food in a white foam box to take home to prepare for dinner.

Not far away, at the Van Mieu market area, stalls selling raw meat and fish are mixed with cooked food, vegetables, fruits, etc., and are displayed all over the walkways. Vendors freely use their bare hands to pick up food, while customers also freely use their hands to choose, increasing the risk of cross-infection. Outside, carts selling soup and ready-to-eat food are parked close together, with buyers and sellers lining up on the street, making traffic even more congested. In front of the provincial Maternity Hospital on Tran Dang Ninh Street, some carts selling porridge, boxed rice, pre-cut fruit, soft drinks, etc. are busy displaying their products while dealing with the authorities. All are displayed in the wind and dust without being covered or protected. In a nearby alley, a charcoal stove and a cooking stove placed next to the walkway are billowing smoke. The cooked food is placed right next to the dusty road. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tai in Nghia Hung district, who is taking care of his wife who just gave birth at the hospital, shared: “Because my house is far away and I have no relatives here, I have to buy food here every day. But seeing the food exposed to the sun at noon and wind and dust in the afternoon without protection, I feel very embarrassed, but I have to “close my eyes” and eat because I only have a few days here.”

The prolonged hot weather also makes many people reluctant to cook, so they often buy street food. Meanwhile, many types of dirty food are flooding the market, not guaranteed in quality, of unknown origin; many food manufacturers and traders use growth stimulants, banned chemicals in processing agricultural and aquatic products and use many types of detergents for spoiled meat and fish; processing procedures are not strict... In particular, for profit, many food service establishments do not hesitate to import goods of unknown origin. The processed ingredients are almost beyond the control of the authorities, with a high risk of causing digestive diseases, even food poisoning. The processing area is not hygienic, has not implemented a one-way food processing process, food is sold on the sidewalk, right next to the drainage ditch, the business area is narrow, the sales area is shared with the family's living area. Food containers sold on the street are often unsanitary, easily spoiling food. Street food establishments do not have adequate storage cabinets and food is not covered.

Most street foods are sold right on the ground, close to sewers, manholes... which can easily cause food and drinks to become contaminated. In particular, in hot weather, food or processed ingredients left at high temperatures for a long time under unsafe conditions will cause bacteria to multiply to the point where they can cause illness in consumers. In addition, most fast food stores now store food in styrofoam boxes and plastic bags that are not safe. All of these factors combined increase the risk of food poisoning in hot weather. In addition, shopping for food via social networks and e-commerce platforms is becoming a popular trend. Items from meat, fish, vegetables, seafood to ready-made dishes can all be delivered to your home, but behind that convenience lies many concerns about food quality and safety. Many products sold online do not have labels, expiration dates, origins, or have their quality been inspected. Most online stores operate spontaneously, without a business license and without food safety certification.

Currently, in Nam Dinh city, there are over 1,600 food production, trading and processing establishments; including over 1,100 food service establishments and street food services. Every year, the functional sector has organized food safety communication conferences in wards and communes; organized competitions and talks on food safety for food production and trading households. Thereby contributing to raising awareness and attitudes towards food safety, clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of authorities at all levels, managers, producers and traders to ensure food safety quality according to current regulations. All levels and sectors also focus on administrative reform in the field of food safety to shorten the licensing process, creating favorable conditions for legal business units; At the same time, gradually build a safe and sustainable food system through the development of clean agricultural product chains, safe food market models, traceability of meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits, and random monitoring at high-risk locations. At the same time, improve the effectiveness of food safety management, contribute to strengthening post-inspection and tightening State management of food safety throughout the area.

Faced with the high risk of food poisoning in the summer, in addition to the awareness of consumers and owners of production and business establishments regarding food safety and hygiene, the management of functional agencies, especially local authorities, needs to be strengthened, especially regular food safety and hygiene inspections of street food shops.

Article and photos: Thao Linh

Source: https://baonamdinh.vn/xa-hoi/202506/dam-bao-ve-sinh-an-toan-thuc-phammua-nang-nong-2531283/