Phu Tho issues new regulations on decentralization of food safety management

Kinhtedothi - Faced with the complicated situation of violations of food safety regulations, the People's Committee of Phu Tho province has issued new regulations on decentralization of food safety management to enhance the responsibility of local authorities and tighten management of food production and trading in the area.

Clearly define responsibilities at each level and each sector

The People's Committee of Phu Tho province has just issued Decision No. 87/2025/QD-CTUBND regulating the decentralization of State management of food safety in the health sector in the province. This regulation takes effect from November 18, 2025, replacing previous decisions of the People's Committees of Phu Tho and Hoa Binh provinces related to the assignment and decentralization of work in this field.

The subjects of application of the decision are agencies and units assigned to perform state management tasks on food safety (FS) in the health sector, along with relevant organizations and individuals in the province.

Phu Tho province authorities inspect food safety violations. Photo: LG

Accordingly, the Department of Health is the focal agency responsible for managing the entire process of production, processing, preservation, transportation and trading of products under the management of the health sector such as: bottled drinking water, natural mineral water, ice for instant use and for food processing; food supplements, medical nutritional foods, foods for special diets, nutritional products for children up to 36 months old; additives, micronutrient supplements, food processing aids...

The Department of Health is responsible for receiving and managing self-declared product records, storing and publicizing product lists; periodically or suddenly inspecting and post-inspecting food production and trading establishments; guiding and inspecting food safety management at the People's Committees of communes and wards and coordinating with relevant agencies in inter-sectoral inspection and examination activities.

In addition, the Department of Health periodically updates, synthesizes and publicizes the list of establishments meeting food safety conditions on the unit's electronic information portal, and sends it to the People's Committee at the commune level for unified management.

Empowerment and enhancement of responsibility at commune and ward levels

The People's Committee of Phu Tho province has strongly delegated responsibility to the People's Committees at the commune and ward levels to manage food safety in the locality. The scope of management includes: registered or unregistered food service establishments; food stalls, street food, food stalls in markets; collective kitchens in schools from kindergarten to secondary school, regardless of public, private or non-public type.

The People's Committees at the commune and ward levels are responsible for managing food safety in their localities. Illustration photo: LG

The People's Committees at the commune and ward levels are responsible for inspecting and supervising the implementation of food safety regulations, promptly detecting, recording and handling or transferring to competent authorities for handling; at the same time, ensuring food safety at festivals, fairs, conferences and events organized by the locality.

Quarterly or when there are changes, the commune and ward levels must review, compile statistics, classify and publicize the list of food establishments under the management of the health sector, and send reports to the Department of Health for synthesis and publication at the provincial level.

This decentralization aims to ensure compliance with specialized legal regulations, and at the same time unify direction, guidance and inspection of food safety throughout the province.

Many serious violations of food safety were discovered.

Before this decision was issued, the situation of violations of food safety regulations in Phu Tho province was complicated, many large-scale cases had been discovered and prosecuted by authorities.

On May 27, 2025, the Investigation Police Agency of Phu Tho Province Police initiated a case and prosecuted Le Van Hieu, Director of Santex Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and Do Van Cuong, Director of RQPHAR Viet Herbal Medicine Company Limited, along with 4 related individuals for the crime of "Producing, trading in prohibited goods and forging documents of agencies and organizations". The police agency seized nearly 12 million fake functional food pills and more than 76,000 liters of liquid solution, with a total value of thousands of billions of VND.

Phu Tho Provincial Police seized fake and poor quality functional foods and pharmaceuticals manufactured by Santex Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.

In August 2025, Phu Tho Provincial Police arrested Vu Thi Huong (born in 1993, Director of MQ Food Company Limited) for "producing and trading in counterfeit food products". At the production facility in Vinh Hung commune, the authorities discovered more than 30 tons of fresh buffalo and pork meat and 7 tons of dried meat of unknown origin, many of which had a foul odor.

Vu Thi Huong, Director of MQ Food Company Limited, was arrested for “producing and trading in counterfeit food products”. Photo: Phu Tho Provincial Police

From 2020 to present, Huong was determined to have used more than 1,000 tons of imported frozen meat (mostly of unknown origin) to produce about 400 tons of dried meat, illegally profiting more than 100 billion VND.

The above incidents show the urgent need to strengthen management and tighten discipline in the field of food safety, while enhancing the responsibility of local authorities - in the spirit of Decision 87/2025/QD-CTUBND recently issued by the People's Committee of Phu Tho province.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/phu-tho-ban-hanh-quy-dinh-moi-ve-phan-cap-quan-ly-an-toan-thuc-pham.907113.html