Improve food market criteria

Implementing Plan No. 58/KH-UBND of the Provincial People's Committee on building food trading markets (KDTP) that meet food safety (ATTP) regulations in the province in the period of 2022-2025, the Department of Industry and Trade has synchronously implemented solutions to complete, maintain and improve food safety criteria, focusing on building food safety markets.

Improve food market criteria Dien Bien Market (Thanh Hoa City) ensures the criteria for a food business market.

Accordingly, the Department of Industry and Trade has issued documents to urge, guide, and remove difficulties and obstacles of each locality in the process of maintaining and building safe food trading markets and stores. At the same time, a working delegation was arranged to work in 27/27 districts, towns, and cities, directly surveying the actual situation at the markets in the province to inspect and guide the work of building and maintaining criteria according to the national standards on food trading markets developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade . In addition, the Department has also established appraisal teams to conduct appraisal and assessment of food trading market criteria for temporary markets and grade 1 and grade 2 markets in the province. Together with the industry and trade sector, the People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities have also actively guided enterprises managing and operating markets to implement the work process of building and maintaining good food trading markets. In particular, the targets for building food markets are included by localities as one of the goals and plans for economic and social development.

Thanks to the active participation of the industry and trade sector and the effective implementation of solutions by localities on maintaining and improving criteria, food trading markets in the province have achieved many positive results. Up to now, the whole province has 366/388 markets meeting food trading market standards, reaching 90%. Of which, 250 markets have completed the announcement of conformity of food trading markets according to national standards and 15/17 markets have been assessed and recognized as temporary food trading markets, reaching 53% of the plan.

According to the assessment of the Department of Industry and Trade, most of the markets that meet the criteria of food trading markets have ensured the requirements from facilities to keeping the food trading area clean. Accordingly, some general requirements for food trading establishments in the market are: clean the food trading area and the walkways around the stalls; have enough equipment to ensure safety and cleanness for business, preserve food in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer and the characteristics of the business products; do not use or trade in food additives, detergents, disinfectants, and disinfectants of unknown origin... In particular, the origin of the products must be clear; there must be books recording contracts, invoices, documents, and information related to the purchase and sale of products. At the markets, food safety management and supervision teams have also been established to comply with some regulations such as signing food safety commitments, health check-ups, and training on food safety knowledge. Many markets have been doing well in maintaining the criteria of food business markets such as: Tan An - Tan Binh market ( Thanh Hoa city); Thong market, Dong Ly market and Don market in Nghi Son town, Vinh market (Hoang Hoa), Ngoc Lien market, Dong Thinh market and Phuc Thinh market (Ngoc Lac), Cam Yen market (Cam Thuy), Quang Xuong town market (Quang Xuong)...

Although the implementation of the construction of food trading markets has been directed, planned and has a roadmap, it has not met the requirements, and the progress is still slow compared to the set plan. In some markets that have been announced to meet food trading market standards, the facilities are still degraded, the hygiene in the market is not focused on, the traceability of food origin and the activities of the food safety monitoring team in the market are sometimes not maintained stably and effectively. In some localities, there are still markets operating outside the planning, spontaneous business locations arise, encroaching on the roadside, causing traffic jams, loss of aesthetics; causing environmental pollution, not ensuring food hygiene and safety.

To maintain and improve the criteria for sustainable food trading markets, the Department of Industry and Trade will continue to monitor the maintenance of food trading market criteria for markets that have been assessed and recognized as food trading markets. Regularly organize training conferences, instruct localities with operating markets in the planning for the development of the market system in the province and representatives of management boards and food safety monitoring teams at the market on the work of maintaining and improving the quality of food trading market criteria. At the same time, resolutely direct the People's Committees of communes, towns, and market management boards to regularly inspect and remind food safety monitoring teams to promote their role and responsibility in supervising food hygiene and safety in the market. In addition to the responsibility of the management unit, the cooperation of the traders in the market is also needed. Only then will the construction of food trading markets be truly effective, contributing to the development of trade in a civilized, modern direction and protecting the health and interests of consumers.

Article and photos: Chi Pham

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