VietNamNet Bridge – Food safety inspection forces will be deployed in nine cities and provinces from July 1, deputy minister of health Truong Quoc Cuong announced at a Wednesday conference on food safety, the Thanh niên (Young people) newspaper reports. 

Food safety inspection at Ben Thanh Market in HCM City last month. - Photo thanhnien.vn

The forces will be deployed in Hanoi, HCM City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Dong Nai and Gia Lai.

In Hanoi and HCM City, they will be mobilised in all areas but only in some districts in other seven cities and provinces.

Inspectors who are officers of departments of economy, agriculture and rural development and medical centres will be offered inspection skill courses.

Some 3,700 inspectors are set to be mobilised in Hanoi, according to Cuong.

In 2015, food safety inspection forces were piloted in twenty communes in Hanoi and HCM City. The initiative proved efficient in tightening management on food safety, reducing food poisoning cases and preventing violations by food suppliers.

Hanoi and HCM City have obtained more than VND1.16 billion (US$49,880) and VND4.13 billion ($177,676) respectively, from fines for food safety violations.

However, most of this funding remains unused. Therefore, participants at the conference asked for instructions to allocate money from these funds for food safety programmes.

Source: VNS