Deputy Prime Minister requests Ministry of Health to clarify the situation of profiteering and manipulation in the management of functional foods

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long requested the Ministry of Health to review and clearly report on the limitations and shortcomings in current regulations on food safety management for functional food products; clearly identify issues that are not yet strict, have loopholes, and are easily exploited and manipulated to violate regulations.

On May 28, the Government Office issued Document No. 4704/VPCP-KGVX conveying the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long on handling information reflecting on the management of functional foods.

According to the document, on May 15, the Government Electronic Information Portal sent a document reporting to the Prime Minister on press information reflecting the management of functional foods.

According to the article titled "The system of checking and licensing functional foods: Many loopholes, easy to manipulate", from the case of discovering hundreds of fake functional foods, the police agency is continuing to expand the investigation of violations related to the system of "backing" fake functional foods, causing serious harm to the community, increasing public outrage.

Many cases of counterfeit functional foods have been discovered recently.

From this case, the investigation agency determined that the inspection and licensing system for the functional food industry has many loopholes. The formalistic, non-transparent and easily manipulated approach has turned a field directly related to human health into a fertile ground for interest groups and corruption.

In response to the above reflection, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long requested the Ministry of Health to review and clearly report on the limitations and shortcomings in current regulations on food safety management for functional food products, in which it is important to clearly identify issues that are not yet strict, have loopholes, and are easily exploited and manipulated to violate regulations and not ensure food safety.

On that basis, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Health to preside over and coordinate with relevant agencies to immediately implement solutions to overcome the problem according to its functions, tasks and authority; promptly report to competent authorities in cases exceeding its authority; at the same time review, complete, and have specific regulations, policies and measures to improve the effectiveness of managing this type of product when submitting to the Government the Draft Decree amending Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP detailing the implementation of the Law on Food Safety.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/pho-thu-tuong-yeu-cau-bo-y-te-lam-ro-tinh-trang-truc-loi-thao-tung-trong-quan-ly-thuc-pham-chuc-nang--i769843/