According to the proposal, at the central level, there will be a food safety management agency under the Ministry of Health . At the local level, a Department of Food Safety could be established, or the existing Food Safety Sub-department model under the Department of Health could be maintained but with additional functions from relevant departments and agencies in this field. The draft also proposes the establishment of a food safety team under the People's Committee at the commune level to directly inspect, monitor, and handle violations in the field of food safety.
This proposal stems from the fact that food safety management has been inadequate for many years. Currently, food safety management is divided among three ministries: the Ministry of Health directly manages 6 out of 33 food product categories; the Ministry of Industry and Trade manages 8 out of 33 categories; and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment manages 19 out of 33 categories. The involvement of multiple ministries leads to overlapping responsibilities, difficulty in determining primary accountability, and delays in addressing food safety issues. The issue of "three ministries managing one meal" was discussed many years ago.
Ho Chi Minh City is the first and only locality in the country to date to establish a Department of Food Safety, based on the development of the former Food Safety Management Board. After two years of operation, this model is considered suitable for the city's practical needs. However, the establishment of the Department of Food Safety has not yet been able to resolve all the shortcomings in the inter-agency management mechanism.
Food poisoning incidents still occur; the fragmented nature of management has not been fully resolved. Just the journey of a piece of pork to the dinner table involves three regulatory bodies: quarantine and slaughtering, under the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture and Environment; origin and traceability checks before entering wholesale markets, under the responsibility of the Department of Food Safety; and distribution and consumption, under the management of the Department of Industry and Trade. If a food safety incident occurs, determining primary responsibility is far from simple.
Nevertheless, practical experiences from Ho Chi Minh City remain an important reference point for perfecting the new management model. The achievements, difficulties encountered, and recommendations made after the operation of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department demonstrate the value of pioneering in a field that is always critical and directly impacts people's lives.
Food safety is not just about preventing food poisoning; it encompasses the entire chain from planting, raising livestock, harvesting, processing, packaging, and distribution. The "from farm to table" journey is linked to the standards of a green economy and sustainable development. Only through comprehensive control throughout this entire chain can we fundamentally address issues related to public health.
Food safety has long been a matter of particular concern for the Party and State leaders. On May 4th and 5th, during a meeting with voters from 10 wards in Hanoi, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that food safety is a field directly related to the health, lives, and trust of the people. The General Secretary and President pointed out that current management is fragmented, involving many ministries and agencies, with each unit responsible for a different stage, leading to a "piecemeal" approach to management; he also stated that it has been agreed to assign the Ministry of Health primary responsibility for this field.
Relevant agencies must perform their functions properly, coordinate closely, and avoid fragmentation and lack of interconnectedness. Previously, during a group discussion session of the National Assembly in November 2025, Comrade To Lam also emphasized the need to address the root causes of factors directly affecting people's health, such as environmental pollution, unsafe water, and unsafe food. "No matter how many hospitals we build or how many doctors we train, it will never be enough" if these fundamental issues are not resolved.
The message is clear! Legal regulations are being developed and refined to keep pace with practical demands. What people are waiting for is for real action in enforcement, with a management system that is sufficiently unified, transparent, and accountable to protect the safety of people's daily meals.
With the health of over 100 million people at stake, changes in food safety management cannot be delayed any longer!
HOANG LINH
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tao-su-dong-bo-ve-quan-ly-an-toan-thuc-pham-post851571.html
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