VietNamNet Bridge – A major food hygiene inspection campaign is now underway in HCM City as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches.

As many as 11 food producers have been suspended from operating for violations of food safety and hygiene regulations in HCM City within the first four days of inspections, according to Huynh Le Thai Hoa, director of the city's Food Safety and Hygiene Department.

Four inter-sectoral inspection teams from HCM City's Department of Food Safety and Hygiene and Health Department would continue to carry out checks on 120 local food producers city-wide.

The inspections, expected to finish at Tet, are intended to tighten food safety and hygiene in the city after 700 city people were hospitalised in food poisoning incidents two weeks ago, said Hoa.

The offending enterprises included the Minh Tam Company in District 3, and industrial caterers Minh Trang, Trong Khoi, and Phu Quoc firms based in Tan Binh District.

"Violations included unclean kitchen tools, poor treatment of unused food and insufficient drainage systems," said Pham Viet Thanh, director of the HCM Health Department.

The companies would be fined up to VND15 million (US$770) per violation as regulated by a Government decree, Hoa said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News