Strengthening food security and safety as tourism recovers strongly

On behalf of voters of Dong Trieu town, at the 14th session of the 14th Provincial People's Council, term 2021-2026, delegate Nguyen Thi Vinh, Dong Trieu town delegation questioned:

As a service tourism province, in recent years, Quang Ninh province has always focused on and implemented synchronous and effective solutions for tourism development associated with food safety and hygiene to ensure the safety of people and tourists, thereby contributing to building a friendly, attractive and safe image of Quang Ninh tourism. However, in addition to the achieved results, food safety and hygiene in the province still reveals many shortcomings and limitations. According to the report of the Provincial People's Committee, in the first 6 months of 2023, there were 3 food poisoning cases in the province, with 13 people infected, an increase of 1 case compared to the same period.

I would like to request the Director of the Department of Health to inform us about the current situation and solutions of the industry in the coming time to strengthen food security and safety in the new situation, especially when Quang Ninh tourism is strongly recovering, attracting a large number of visitors.

Director of Health Department Nguyen Trong Dien replied:

1. Food safety management situation in the province:

Currently, according to statistics, the whole province has 48,684 food production and trading establishments, of which 10,757 establishments are managed by the health sector (1,860 establishments are managed by the provincial level; 3,821 establishments at the district level; and 5,076 establishments are managed by the commune level).

For many years now, food safety management has gradually become routine. There have been no large-scale food poisoning cases involving more than 30 people in the province, and no deaths due to food poisoning at managed food establishments. In the first 6 months of 2023, the health sector has inspected and supervised food service establishments, ensuring absolute food safety for domestic and international delegates attending 30 major events in the province; ensuring food safety for over 8.5 million tourists coming to Quang Ninh , an increase of 61% over the same period in 2022.

However, in the first 6 months of 2023, there were 3 food poisoning cases in the province, with 13 people infected (rate of 0.96/100,000 people), all of which were classified by medical units for emergency treatment, timely treatment, and quick recovery of the patients' health, with no deaths due to food poisoning. The Department of Health has directed the Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-Department to promptly and proactively coordinate with medical units to immediately deploy measures to prevent food poisoning, to prevent the recurrence of poisoning that causes panic among people and tourists; to declare and investigate in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health (the number of cases and the number of people infected is less than 10 cases/year and less than 6.0/100,000 people).

Currently, food safety management in this field still faces many difficulties, challenges, limitations, difficulties, and inadequacies, and there are still a number of food poisoning and digestive disorders occurring at food service establishments.

Specifically , after 12 years of implementing the Food Safety Law No. 55/2010/QH12 dated June 17, 2010 and 5 years of implementing Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP dated February 2, 2018 of the Government (hereinafter referred to as Decree No. 15) detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Food Safety Law, there have been many shortcomings in the implementation process such as expanding the scope of enterprises that do not need to be granted a certificate of food safety eligibility, as well as expanding the scope of establishments that are exempted from granting a certificate of food safety eligibility. This regulation leads to difficulties in the management of this group of establishments.

Currently, the health sector manages 10,757 facilities (provincial level manages 1,860 facilities; district level: 3,821 facilities, commune level manages 5,076 facilities). Human resources are still limited, so implementation lacks depth, synchronization, and efficiency.

Facilities that are not eligible for a certificate of food safety qualified facility, are not assessed by a competent authority for food safety conditions before operating, and do not proactively notify the authorities about food production and business activities and catering services will make it very difficult for food safety management authorities to grasp and manage the facility.

In the province, there are 2,251 street food establishments without business registration certificates, so it is difficult to make a list, propose annual inspections according to the regulations of the Government and the Provincial Inspectorate. Instead, it is necessary to monitor and propose inspections when there are signs of violations, by which time the establishments have been operating for a long time and for small-scale production establishments, the product life cycle may have ended and the products have been sold out on the market.

There are also subjects who, for profit, have produced and traded food of unknown origin and food safety; there are also phenomena of assisting in violations such as consuming smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, chemicals, food additives not on the list of permitted use; business ethics are not respected.

A large part of consumers are still very subjective about their health, so they are still easy-going in using food products and food services. They have not paid attention to detecting and promptly informing the authorities about establishments violating food safety regulations for strict handling according to the law.

In the social trend, e-commerce activities are growing rapidly, online food business is booming, but regulations on management and traceability of business units are still lacking, leading to a situation where these businesses and product quality on the market cannot be controlled.

The provincial interdisciplinary food safety inspection team inspected compliance with food safety regulations at Long Tu restaurant (Mong Cai city). Photo: Mong Cai Cultural and Information Center

2. Solution:

To ensure food safety at food service establishments (collective kitchens, restaurants, eateries, etc.), there must be synchronous solutions to ensure food safety right from the stages of farming, preliminary processing, catching, harvesting and producing and trading food and food ingredients. Therefore, it requires the drastic participation and cooperation of all levels, sectors and the consumer community. To focus on leadership and direction of drastic and synchronous implementation from the province to the grassroots level on food safety to achieve the set goals and requirements, the Department of Health has proposed a number of key tasks and solutions as follows:

Continue to thoroughly grasp, strictly and effectively implement Directive No. 17-CT/TW of the Secretariat on strengthening food security and safety in the new situation; Plan No. 143/KH-UBND dated May 30, 2023 of the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee on implementing Directive No. 17-CT/TW dated October 21, 2022 of the Secretariat and Plan No. 280-KH/TU dated March 27, 2023 of the Standing Committee of the Quang Ninh Provincial Party Committee. Strengthen the leadership and direction of Party committees, Party organizations and authorities at all levels on food security and safety; ensuring food security and safety must be considered a regular task of the entire political system; Enhance the responsibility for state management of food safety, strengthen the leadership and direction of Party committees, Party organizations and local authorities. Heads of agencies and units must be responsible for any violations of food safety laws. Strictly handle organizations and individuals who are negligent and irresponsible in food safety management.

The Department of Health continues to proactively direct the implementation of measures to prevent food poisoning in catering establishments, collective kitchens in industrial parks, schools, restaurants, hotels, tourist areas, festivals, conferences, and street food. Build and develop models of food safety control points in collective kitchens and restaurants, then replicate them. In the immediate future, continue to coordinate with member sectors of the Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety to manage collective kitchens in schools, industrial parks, factories, enterprises, catering establishments in crowded tourist areas, kitchens on cruise ships, etc. to control and prevent food poisoning and foodborne diseases.

Strengthen information and education communication, especially communication to change behavior. Provide timely, accurate and honest information on issues related to food safety. Include food safety assurance tasks in the regular activities of Party cells and grassroots Party committees in the entire health sector. Coordinate with the Provincial Communication Center to increase the duration and frequency of broadcasting and reporting on Quang Ninh Newspaper, the Provincial Electronic Information Portal, and the commune-level radio system on food safety assurance, on the risks of food safety loss and use many propaganda measures to convey messages and warnings about food safety loss to cadres, Party members and people of all walks of life; raise awareness in ensuring food safety.

Strengthening training in food safety management for officials working in management from provincial to communal levels, with priority given to training in inspection, testing, sampling and food poisoning investigation...

Strengthen inspection, examination and supervision of food safety, especially at district and commune levels, and strictly handle violations, resolutely not allowing establishments that do not meet the prescribed conditions to operate; Conduct inspections and examinations of the performance of duties and tasks in assigned and decentralized areas; strictly handle agencies and civil servants who are irresponsible and lax in food safety management.

Continue to maintain and strengthen the hotline of the Food Safety Department at 0918.815.815 to receive people's feedback on violations; encourage and promptly reward organizations and individuals who provide accurate and valuable information to serve food safety management.

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