VietNamNet Bridge - “The Food Safety Law, containing overlapping provisions and legal loopholes, tends to protect the benefit of chemicals manufacturers,” said Dr Tran Tuan, director of the Research and Training Center for Community Development (RTCCD).

 

The biggest worry for Vietnamese is the uncontrolled effect of industrial chemicals on food production. They fear that daily food could be infected with pesticide residue, herbicide protection chemicals and chemicals used in mining industries.

While some types of chemicals are prohibited in the world as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and public health organizations, they still are used on a large scale in Vietnam.

Tuan attended a conference in Geneva to review the implementation of three international conventions, in which scientists discussed adding chemicals onto the list of prohibited substances, including Paraquad, a kind of herbicide used in agricultural production. 

The biggest worry for Vietnamese is the uncontrolled effect of industrial chemicals on food production.

The issue was put into discussion after scientists found serious effects on the living environment.

The substance has been used widely in Vietnam. He even found an advert ‘Paraquad – the farmers’ friend’ on the website of an agency.

Asbestos is another example. While scientists in the world repeatedly warns that this is a toxic substance which can cause problems to the respiratory system, asbestos has been used widely in construction in Vietnam.

A report pointed out that if Vietnam does not prohibit asbestos, it would see 70,000 tons of asbestos entering the country every year. It is estimated that 80 percent of the volume is used to make roofing products.

Asbestos products that are thrown away would leave particles that would spread in the air, absorb into the earth and water sources and affect human health.

Many people still use asbestos-made roofing products because they cheaper and advertising information is inaccurate.

“It is obvious that the information just serves the benefits of chemicals companies,” Tuan commented.

Vietnam is a member of all three conventions which aim to protect human health - the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

Vietnam needs to refer to the three conventions when compiling legal documents. However, Tuan said that the Law on Food Safety does not reflect the principles of the conventions.

Dat Viet