Just a month ago, a massive counterfeit milk powder production and distribution ring was also busted. Nearly 600 types of fake milk powder were released onto the market without a single instance of detection. Immediately, the Food Safety Department came under public scrutiny.
A document dated April 15th from this agency stated that the Ministry of Health is responsible for directing operations, while post-inspection and licensing are the responsibility of local authorities. However, at the local level, the Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-departments of Hoa Binh and Vinh Phuc provinces have never conducted post-inspections of businesses, or if they did, they lacked samples for testing. This strange situation went on smoothly for four years!
In this way, somehow, the products of the counterfeit milk and dietary supplement ring openly entered hospitals and reputable pharmacy chains, only to be frantically recalled afterward. Investigators have been gradually uncovering the hidden aspects of the production, business, licensing, and management of these highly profitable products.
The Vietnamese market offers thousands of health supplements. Each year, the number of people using these supplements increases, accounting for one-fifth of the population, with a growth rate of approximately 15% annually. This fertile ground is being thoroughly exploited by unscrupulous businesses, regardless of the fact that substandard supplements harm health and threaten human lives. If effective and genuine management were implemented, hundreds of tons of counterfeit supplements and hundreds of types of fake milk would not be able to brazenly infiltrate people's homes.
As the agency advising the Minister of Health on state management and law enforcement regarding food safety nationwide, the Food Safety Department should ideally be the "gatekeeper," responsible for ensuring the food safety of the people. More fundamentally, it's about protecting the health of future generations and the quality of the gene pool of over 100 million people. In reality, what have these "gatekeepers" actually done?
According to regulations, health food products must register their product declarations with the Food Safety Department, while food supplement manufacturing plants must be assessed and certified by the Food Safety Department with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certification. Products, whether declared or self-declared, must also undergo post-inspection. This is crucial to ensuring businesses comply with the law.
According to the investigation, five officials from the Food Safety Department received bribes and issued four GMP certificates and 20 product registration certificates in a fake dietary supplement ring. This clandestine collusion between Food Safety Department officials and unscrupulous businesses has shed light on why the dietary supplement market has been so chaotic in recent times.
The door protecting food safety for 100 million people has completely slammed shut when the "gatekeepers" are manipulated by bribes. Public trust is eroded, and society is unstable as counterfeit food proliferates legally!
This is the time for a drastic overhaul of food safety management nationwide, from ministerial and departmental levels to local authorities. We must implement thorough solutions, strictly punish violations, and address deliberate attempts to exploit legal loopholes and bribe officials for personal gain.
It is essential to identify and remove from the system those corrupt officials who abet the sale of counterfeit food and infringe upon the interests of the people. This is also something that cannot be delayed in order to rebuild public trust, contribute to reducing the burden of disease, and establish a healthy business environment. Above all, it is a responsibility to future generations.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/loai-bo-thuc-pham-ban-tu-chiec-phong-bi-post795266.html
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