Hanoi temporarily suspends operations at Nguyen Ninh sticky rice cake and Thanh Huong ham cake establishments.

Ham production facility temporarily shuts down.

In Tay Ho district, during a surprise inspection at Thanh Huong Food Processing Co., Ltd. – a ham processing and production facility (No. 50 An Duong Street, Tay Ho District), the inspection team noted that the facility employs 13 workers.

A review of the legal documents revealed that the establishment had not presented a food safety certificate or contracts and documents proving the origin of the cashews and shredded meat.

Regarding actual hygiene conditions, the production area is not arranged according to a one-way flow principle and lacks separate zones; the walls, ceilings, and floors of the production area are in poor condition. The production area is disorganized and lacks regular cleaning. Upon inspection, the facility lacks tables for packaging finished products.

The inter-agency food safety inspection team No. 1 of Hanoi City inspected Thanh Huong Food Processing Co., Ltd. – a facility processing and producing ham (No. 50 An Duong Street, Tay Ho District).

At the time of inspection, the products were being packaged on the floor. The window area lacked insect screens and was covered in dust; cockroaches were present in the production area; and there was a lack of regular cleaning of equipment and tools.

The finished goods storage area lacks shelving and proper hygiene practices. Employees do not have boots or shoes for use in the food production area.

Upon inspection, the finished goods storage area was found to be lacking shelving.

The product labeling information does not match the self-declared product information (missing meat floss quantity, incorrect self-declared number, additional production address in Thuong Tin included...).

Upon inspection, the team requested Thanh Huong Food Processing Co., Ltd. – a facility processing and producing ham – to temporarily cease operations.

The inspection team examined the production area of the facility.

Dang Thanh Phong, head of the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department, requested that the facility standardize its legal documents, workforce, and production processes, and seriously address the shortcomings and limitations pointed out by the inspection team. If the facility continues to participate in production, it must ensure food safety and product quality.

At the same time, the delegation also assigned the district's Steering Committee to monitor the establishments' self-correction of the aforementioned shortcomings. In addition, Tay Ho district will continue to inspect many more establishments so that district leaders can review the overall picture of food safety, especially those producing during the Tet holiday.

The finished products are placed directly on the floor by the facility.

According to the inspection report on the New Year's Day, Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake), and Spring Festival in 2024 in Tay Ho district, there are currently 1,982 establishments involved in food production, business, processing, food service, and street food in the district.

To ensure food safety for the New Year, Lunar New Year, and Spring Festival in 2025, Tay Ho District has established 10 inter-agency food safety inspection teams. These include 2 district-level inter-agency teams and 8 ward-level inter-agency inspection teams.

Dang Thanh Phong, Head of the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department, speaks at a meeting with Tay Ho district.

Inspection teams focused intensely on checking food safety for items sold during the Tet holiday and promptly handled administrative violations related to food safety.

During this period, the district level inspected 5 establishments, with 3 meeting the requirements (60%); 97 establishments at the ward level (38 businesses, 42 food service establishments, and 17 street food vendors) were found to be in violation (39.18%).

The inspection team visited the Nguyen Ninh rice cake production facility (11 Hang Than Street, Ba Dinh District).

Inspections revealed that food production and business establishments are still facing difficulties (due to the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi ), and have not focused on investing in infrastructure, equipment, and tools, resulting in some establishments not meeting hygiene standards. Furthermore, the awareness of some establishments is still low; during inspections, some displayed a defiant attitude or were uncooperative with the inspection team.

In addition, the staff responsible for food safety management often have other duties, resulting in inadequate inspection and supervision.

Strict action will be taken against establishments that close down and refuse to receive inspection teams.

In Ba Dinh district, during a surprise inspection at the Nguyen Ninh rice cake production facility (11 Hang Than, Ba Dinh), the inspection team noted that the facility could not produce health certificates and food safety training certificates for the owner and 5 employees.

The establishment failed to present documentation proving the origin of the raw materials, food additives, and packaging that come into direct contact with food.

Regarding actual hygiene conditions, the production area is not arranged according to a one-way principle, is not divided into separate zones but is instead combined with the family's living area; there is no area for packaging or labeling products.

Upon inspection, the Nguyen Ninh rice cake production facility (11 Hang Than, Ba Dinh) was found to have numerous violations.

The walls, ceilings, and floors of the production area are damp, moldy, cracked, peeling, and completely deteriorated. The drainage system is open and clogged with wastewater; there is one toilet within the production area. Clothes and personal belongings are washed and dried within the production area.

Regarding equipment and tools, the facility lacks specialized processing and production equipment; it also lacks equipment for controlling insects and pests, and there are insects and pests present in the production area; and there is a lack of regular cleaning procedures for equipment and tools.

The facility lacks separate storage areas for packaging, raw materials, and finished products; the storage area has no shelving and lacks regular cleaning procedures. Food production staff do not have separate protective clothing.

The product labeling information does not match the self-declared product information and does not comply with regulations on product labeling.

Following the inspection, the team requested a temporary suspension of operations at the Nguyen Ninh rice cake production facility (11 Hang Than Street, Ba Dinh District). The team instructed the District Steering Committee to continue monitoring the facility's self-correction of the aforementioned issues. In addition, the district will continue to handle violations and report the inspection results to the inter-agency inspection team.

The inspection team checked the legal documents at the Nguyen Ninh rice cake production facility (11 Hang Than, Ba Dinh). — The inspection team checks the legal documents at the Nguyen Ninh rice cake production facility (11 Hang Than, Ba Dinh).

According to Dang Thanh Phong, head of the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department, this year, following the directives of the City Steering Committee and the Hanoi People's Committee, inspection teams will conduct inspections without prior notice, and districts and counties will not be allowed to choose which establishments to inspect. After the inspection, the teams will report back to the city leaders so that the city can be informed and provide further guidance.

Regarding facilities that announce closure and refuse to receive inspection teams, and have their workers on leave, the Tay Ho District Health Department is requested to conduct a re-inspection (unannounced inspection). If violations are found, severe penalties will be imposed. Once the facility rectifies the issues, the District Steering Committee will conduct a follow-up inspection based on the report and allow it to resume operations. Facilities that have not yet rectified the problems will remain closed.

Furthermore, the head of the Food Safety and Hygiene Department requested that inspection teams strictly check the origin and take samples of food products during Tet, especially alcoholic beverages (testing for chemical residues, preservatives, and microorganisms...). Hanoi will strictly handle violations to ensure the supply of safe and high-quality food for the people.

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