Food-safety inspection teams, which have been piloted in five districts, will be established in all districts’ wards and communes, according to Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy head of the HCM City’s health department.

Five pilot teams are now working in districts 3, 5, Binh Tan, Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved the expansion after a food-safety inspection and meeting with city authorities early this month.

The city started the pilot programme last November under the PM’s Decision 38.

In each of the five pilot districts, a food-safety inspectorate was set up in two communes and wards. HCM City and Hanoi were chosen to carry out the pilot programme.

At a meeting on this issue in District 3, which is one of five districts carrying out the pilot programme held on Wednesday, Hung also told inspectors in charge of food safety management at wards and communes to impose strict fines to prevent further violations.

Dr Nguyen Thai, head of the inspectorate in District 3, said that they had inspected 489 food trade and production facilities. At least 296 violations were found, and fines totalled VNĐ1 billion (US$45,000).

They also took 47 food samples for testing, with 27 finding substandard.

In the past, district inspectors conducted three inspections each year, Thai said, adding that they inspected twice a week under the pilot programme.

Thai said that finding the origin of food was difficult because most food was brought from neighbouring areas near HCM City.

Co-operation between the district and area authorities has been insufficient, he said. 

VNS