Many violations were discovered in the production and trading of functional foods.

During inspections and checks of dietary supplements on the market, authorities discovered a series of serious violations.

Numerous violations have been discovered in the production and sale of dietary supplements.

During inspections and checks of dietary supplements on the market, authorities discovered a series of serious violations.

Numerous serious violations were discovered.

The main violations involve the production of counterfeit products, including those that are fake in terms of quality, brand, and origin. This situation poses many challenges to management and consumer health protection.

During inspections and checks of dietary supplements on the market, authorities discovered a series of serious violations.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , from 2022 to the present, 24,643 health supplements have been granted registration certificates, of which 84.7% are domestically produced products.

In addition, the Ministry of Health has also issued 201 Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificates to facilities – this is the first standard applied by Vietnam in the ASEAN region for health supplements.

In addition, the Ministry of Health issued 6,653 Certificates of Advertising Content Approval, and forwarded information on 95 violating products to the Ministry of Information and Communications, and 92 violating products to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for handling according to their authority.

The Ministry has also directed localities to conduct inspections, checks, and post-inspections of establishments producing and trading functional foods.

During the inspection process, 126 violations were discovered, resulting in total fines of 16.858 billion VND. In various localities, authorities inspected 941,836 establishments, of which 85,551 were found to be in violation. Administrative penalties were imposed on 20,881 establishments, totaling 123.841 billion VND.

The main violations involve the production of counterfeit dietary supplements in terms of quality, branding, and origin.

In response to this situation, the Ministry of Health has sent a document to the People's Committees of provinces and cities, requesting them to strengthen the management of advertising for functional foods and closely monitor seminars introducing these products.

The Ministry of Health requests that the People's Committees of provinces and cities direct relevant agencies to monitor the content of functional food advertisements and strictly handle cases of false advertising or advertising that does not conform to approved content.

The ministry also urged people to only buy dietary supplements when they truly need them, use them according to instructions, and not believe unfounded rumors.

In addition, the Ministry of Health has requested that information about violating establishments and products be publicly disclosed through mass media outlets as prescribed by law, in order to enhance transparency and protect consumer rights.

Propose drastic solutions.

During the recent National Assembly session, many representatives expressed concern about the continued prevalence of counterfeit products on the market.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan emphasized that the current legal system has basically met the management needs, including the Food Safety Law, the Inspection Law, the Penal Code, and regulations on administrative penalties for violations.

The Ministry of Health has also collaborated with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Steering Committee 389, and the Ministry of Information and Communications to manage online sales websites and address advertising violations.

Minister Dao Hong Lan stated that if functional foods are produced to meet standards, it will be an advantage for exports, as Vietnam currently exports these products to more than 30 countries, including various types of vitamins.

Despite numerous corrective measures, violations related to social media advertising remain a major challenge. These platforms often host their servers overseas, making it difficult for regulatory agencies to monitor and address violations.

Minister Dao Hong Lan proposed stricter measures, including banning entry and exit for businesses that violate regulations.

The Ministry of Health has also developed a website for the Food Safety Department to provide transparent information, making it easy for consumers to look up products that meet standards.

The increased inspection, supervision, and strict handling of violations demonstrate the Ministry of Health's resolute efforts in managing functional foods.

However, to completely resolve this situation, close coordination between ministries and agencies is needed, along with increased consumer awareness.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/phat-hien-nhieu-vi-pham-trong-san-xuat-kinh-doanh-thuc-pham-chuc-nang-d230041.html