Health ministry proposes tightening food safety regulations on small-scale households

A shop selling grilled skewers near the Hà Nội University of Science and Technology. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health (MoH) is proposing amendments to the Food Safety Law to include specific regulations on production and business conditions for households engaged in small-scale food production, with the goal of reducing food poisoning.

The Food Safety Law, with its many groundbreaking regulations, has been an important legal foundation closely aligning with the management requirements for food safety.

The MoH stated that on June 17, 2010, the 7th session of the 12th National Assembly passed the Food Safety Law, which took effect on July 1, 2011.

After more than 12 years of implementation of the Food Safety Law and its detailed decrees, the current food safety regulations in commercial activities have created a positive legal framework for both domestic and international food businesses.

However, the 2010 law now contains provisions that no longer meet the need to develop and improve the legal system for food safety.

The MoH stated that some regulations on certification of conformity for food products were no longer practical as the number of food products was high, but the number of national technical standards was limited.

Notably, production and business conditions wer e not stringent enough for small-scale producers, who supply a significant amount of food to meet social demands. Because of their numbers, if not properly managed, they could lead to substantial risks of food poisoning and foodborne illnesses.

The MoH also said that there are gaps in management regulations, such as the lack of safety criteria for plant-based foods to align with the current situation, regulations on the division of responsibilities in investigating food poisoning cases and regulations on the withdrawal of certificates of conformity/registration of product declarations, including the absence of local technical standards for the quality of daily clean water use.

There is also a lack of regulations ensuring resources to meet food safety goals and standards, as well as technical standards for traditional local products like turmeric starch, bamboo and areca leaf eating utensils and rice wine yeast.

The MoH added that there is also inconsistency in state management of food safety for certain business types, such as restaurants within hotels or collective kitchens without registered food business licences and inconsistencies in the management of food safety in marketplaces.

It also noted that some concepts are still lacking, such as definitions for small-scale food production and business and pre-packaged processed foods. Terms like ‘prohibited use’, ‘permitted use’, ‘not yet permitted for use’ and ‘not yet approved for circulation in Việt Nam’ are not clearly defined or consistent, leading to confusion in the implementation of the Food Safety Law.

The MoH emphasised the need to amend and supplement certain provisions of the Food Safety Law to build on its strengths and address its shortcomings.

The ministry is currently collecting feedback from various sectors and the public for the amendments.

According to the Ministry of Health, 36 food poisoning outbreaks were reported in the first half of 2024, causing over 2,100 people to fall ill and resulting in six deaths.

These outbreaks, which occurred in provinces such as Khánh Hòa, Đồng Nai and Vĩnh Phúc, not only affected thousands of people but also disrupted businesses.

Harmful bacteria and natural toxins were identified as the primary causes of the illnesses, with pork and chicken dishes being common sources of contamination. — VNS