Health worker collects food samples in Huong Pagoda (Photo: nld.com.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) - Practical and specific measures are needed instead ofgeneral and vague directions from authorities to ensure clean production andfood safety.
The statement was made by National Assembly Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hienduring a meeting held by the 14th National Assembly Inspection Committee withthe Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development(MARD), and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on the implementation offood safety policies and law from 2011 to 2016.
The inspection committee reported no cases of illegal documents and decreesbeing issued and praised authorities’ efforts in managing food safety.
However, Hien also said that despite ministries’ claims that food safety legaldocuments have been improved, various food safety issues have been a constantworry to the public, and he ordered ministries to consider modifying theadministrative violations law to make it more practical.
MARD said the agricultural produces’ food safety has improved. Agriculturalproducers observe food safety regulations more strictly, more ‘safe vegetables’farms are springing up and microbe and chemical contamination decreased, theMARD reports reads.
According to the MoH, from 2011 to 2016, 1,000 cases of food poisoning wererecorded, affecting 30,000 people, and resulting in 164 deaths. On average, 170food poisoning involving 5,000 people and 30 deaths take place every year.
Health ministry reports also point to high risks of poisoning in canteens ofindustrial parks, as evidenced by the number of mass poisoning cases occurringrecently.
Representatives from MoH and MARD blamed the food poisoning on rampant abuse ofchemicals, antibiotics and illegal additives in food production, cross-bordersmuggling of food and flawed use of food origin identification and qualitylabels.
According to the MoIT, during the same period, the ministry issued fines of 143.4billion VND (6.3 million USD) for 55,580 food safety violations cases.
An issue that the MoIT still hasn’t solved is the follow-up assessment ofproduction facilities after they are granted licences.-VNA
As the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival is just weeks away, food safety acquires added urgency as it is a time when consumption of food reaches its annual peak.
Hanoi’s Department of Health will deploy mobile food testing labs to deter unsafe food sold at restaurants and street vendors where spring festivals take place.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) plans to hold more unscheduled inspections of food hygiene and safety in food production and trading this year.
At least seven people died following a suspected case of food poisoning in the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau on February 13, the provincial People’s Committee reported.
Total tourism revenue is projected to reach 280 trillion VND (10.7 billion USD), with hotel occupancy rates averaging 68% and the sector’s contribution to the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) estimated at 7–7.5%.
Amid complex developments in the region, the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel continues to advise Vietnamese citizens who remain in the conflict zone to stay calm, maintain regular contact with the embassy, and strictly follow instructions and warnings from local authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and the embassy.
Kon Tum aims to eliminate all substandard housing by October 31. Authorities will continue to review and prioritise support for households in serious hardship, especially those who rendered service to the nation, the poor, and victims of Agent Orange, while ensuring transparency and preventing policy abuse.
Vietnam has achieved many remarkable results, such as the smoking rate among adults decreased from 23.8% in 2010 to 20.8% in 2021. The rate of exposure to secondhand smoke decreased from 73.1% to 45.6%.
More than half a century after the war, millions of unexploded bombs and mines remain buried underground, threatening lives and hindering development in many localities.
According to the indictment, during the execution of various projects and procurement packages across the provinces of Vinh Phuc, Quang Ngai, and Phu Tho, Phuc Son Group's Chairman and General Director Nguyen Van Hau, who is also Chairman of the Thang Long investment, trade and real estate JSC, either personally committed, directed subordinates, or worked with partner entities to carry out unlawful activities related bidding and accounting procedures.
According to Ben Tre authorities, the province will continue to strengthen IUU fishing prevention by enforcing central directives and enhancing public awareness and compliance among local fishing communities.
Trial operations at the new public administrative service centres in Thanh Khe and Ngu Hanh Son wards show that the reception and processing of citizens' documents on the new wards’ data system have been smoothly handled by the staff, enabling quick settlement and facilitating easy access to public services for the people.
The event, the 12th of its kind jointly, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and Chris Geyskens, Chairwoman of the Belgium chapter of the Hoi An – Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin.
The Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school has positioned itself as a prestigious education establishment, nurturing generations of Vietnamese and Lao students while preserving Vietnamese culture and language as well as strengthening the special bonds between the two countries
For households of people with meritorious service and relatives of fallen soldiers, the province supported the construction and renovation of 2,374 houses, achieving 100% of the set target, 342 newly built and 2,032 renovated.
Held under the theme “Pride and Aspiration”, this year's “Glory to Vietnam” programme aimed to inspire the Vietnamese people's ambition to reach new heights during the era of integration and development.
According to the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC), this year’s campaign provided long-term aid for 3,785 individuals and organisations. Support included houses, clean water systems, school meal facilities, books, and livelihood assistance, with a total value of more than 118 billion VND.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
Health worker collects food samples in Huong Pagoda (Photo: nld.com.vn) 
