Proposal to permanently suspend business of establishments that repeat food safety violations

Food safety - Photo 1.

Delegates discuss in groups on the afternoon of July 8 - Photo: XUAN HAI

On the afternoon of July 8, within the framework of the 25th session, the Hanoi People's Council discussed in groups a number of important thematic issues presented at the session. The issues of counterfeit goods, fake goods, and food safety were of interest to the delegates and were discussed enthusiastically.

Food safety concerns from street vendors at school gates

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung - Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health - said that there are currently over 80,000 food businesses, while the specialized management force for food safety has only about 250 people.

He said this is one of the reasons why inspection and supervision work encounters many difficulties.

Food safety - Photo 2.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung - Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health - Photo: Hanoi People's Committee

According to the leader of the capital's health sector, from 2023 to now, Hanoi authorities have conducted more than 200,000 inspections and fined more than 12,900 violating establishments, with a total fine of more than 52 billion VND.

Some facilities with serious violations have been suspended or forced to stop production.

However, counterfeit goods, fake goods, and products that do not guarantee quality are still common, including functional foods, milk, beverages, and communal kitchens.

To fundamentally address this problem, Mr. Hung made a series of proposals, including doubling the current penalty level to be more deterrent.

"It is necessary to attach violations to personal identification codes, moving towards permanent business suspension for individuals and organizations that commit serious repeat offenses. Avoid the situation where establishments that violate have their licenses revoked and then move to another location," Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hung proposed.

Adding his opinion, delegate Pham Dinh Doan said that currently, functional foods and health protection foods are widely available on the market. In addition, the issue of food safety in front of school gates is alarming.

Giving an example, Mr. Doan said that students eat carefree in front of the school gate while street food such as grilled meat and cheap sausages are difficult to ensure hygiene.

"If not well controlled, it will seriously affect the health of the young generation in the long term, especially in the context that each year Vietnam has about 170,000-180,000 cancer cases, one of the alarmingly high cancer rates," said Mr. Doan.

Free school meals must ensure food safety

Regarding the project to support free lunch for students, speaking at the group, delegate Nguyen Quang Tuan - Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training - said that this is a very humane policy, demonstrating the city's concern for future generations.

However, the implementation needs to be viewed comprehensively, not just stopping at "having meals" or "free", but must ensure nutrition, food safety and suitability for children's physical condition.

"We cannot just think that having financial support is enough. Factors such as students' eating and sleeping conditions are also very important, especially for primary and preschool students. Desks, chairs, living space, hygiene, eating habits, psychological factors, gender, etc. must all be taken into account," said Mr. Tuan.

PHAM TUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-xuat-dinh-chi-kinh-doanh-vinh-vien-co-so-tai-pham-an-toan-thuc-pham-20250708173525797.htm