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Be cautious when u eat street food.

Staff shortage stalls safety inspections
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VietNamNet Bridge - The HCM city’s Health Department is short of personnel and capital to adequately inspect facilities for food safety and hygiene, according to health officials attending a conference held on Thursday in HCM City.


While the number of unlicensed markets is on the rise in HCM City, teams of market inspectors still lack staff and adequate funding to carry out enough food safety and hygiene checks across the city.


Le Truong Giang, deputy head of the Health Department, said most inspectors were newly hired and lacked specialised knowledge and experience.

Few food analysis and testing laboratories exist in the city, and testing and identifying the cause of food poisoning cases is carried out slowly, especially in the city’s districts.

Inadequate city regulations on food safety and hygiene and compensation policies for victims of food poisoning and other consequences of unhygienic spots were impeding progress, according to Giang.

Management oversight of wine manufacturing and trading units was also difficult because more and more companies were setting up shop, he added.

There had been an increase in the number of slaughtering facilities as well, an official of the Health Department’s inspectorate said.

The city’s management of street vendors was also weak, he added.

In addition, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, farmers’ use of so many kinds of pesticides and other chemicals have made it difficult to test their produce for safety.

Squatters increase

An official of the Department of Industry and Trade said the number of squatter markets was increasing and that the management of food products in the markets was becoming too demanding for city inspection staff.

The Health Department has asked that district People’s Committees strictly regulate markets so that similar food products, such as seafood, are sold in separate areas.

The department has also asked the city government to create specific policies on safety violations and compensation rates for victims of food poisoning.

The Food Safety and Hygiene Management Office of the Health Department has been asked to continue with public education campaigns on food safety and hygiene.

Huynh Le Thai Hoa, head of the office, said that despite a variety of safety education campaigns, many people, including migrant workers and the poor, were eating at unhygienic places.

Safety awareness, including wearing protective clothing at work and medical check-ups, is low among the general population.

In the near future, the Health Department will work with other agencies to organise a conference on the management of street vendors, officials said.

VietNamNet/VNS