To ensure food safety for street food

With the meaning of food safety and hygiene against poisoning, allergies and other risks when eating and drinking, in recent times, localities in the province have practiced and maintained many good food safety practices. In particular, at the end of this year, the work of ensuring food hygiene and safety receives more attention by localities and units. By closely supervision, up to now, Binh Duong ensures well food safety of street food.

Thu Dau Mot City authorities held a meeting for people to sign food safety commitments.

Civilized streets, food safety

Huynh Van Luy street in Phu Loi ward, Thu Dau Mot city, from the beginning of the road to the intersection with My Phuoc - Tan Van street, is one of the civilized and food safe streets. This is a street with many street food booths and small restaurants Here, they all take the standard on food safety for the community as for their own families. Therefore, compliance with food safety regulations by booth owners and employees has improved. Food booths and restaurants are open and transparent about product origin, helping consumers feel secure. Every day, food delivery and receipt, and three-step food inspection books must be recorded to facilitate traceability and publicly inform customers about the address and origin of raw materials. In addition, employees directly processing food and serving staff must do periodical health checks and be trained in food hygiene and safety knowledge according to regulations...

According to statistics, the whole province has 7/9 localities maintaining the model of civilized food safety streets in the area. To create good changes in the management of food service and street food business, Binh Duong has implemented food safety assurance for food service and street food business on civilized streets of districts, towns and cities. Localities must ensure that food booths and restaurants on the streets commit to implementing food safety and hygiene, meeting the criteria and no major poisoning incidents occur on the street. As a result, the practice of 10 food safety criteria has been improved, no major poisoning incidents have occurred, contributing to protecting public health.

Pay attention to food safety of street food

Determining that street food contains many risks of food hygiene and safety, communes, wards and towns, and supervision team of Provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Office regularly monitored Health Stations. In the monitored communes and wards, no incidents related to food safety and hygiene occurred during last year. Typical examples are Phu Loi ward (Thu Dau Mot city), An Thanh ward (Thuan An city), Tan Dong Hiep ward (Di An city), Phu An commune (Ben Cat town), Tru Van Tho commune (Bau Bang district), Uyen Hung ward (Tan Uyen city), Tan Hiep commune (Bac Tan Uyen district), Thanh An commune (Dau Tieng district) and Tan Hiep commune (Phu Giao district). Through monitoring, it has been shown that Food Safety Steering Committee at commune, ward and town levels has been consolidated, with 7/9 units that had meetings to assign tasks at the beginning of the year to propose activities ensuring food safety in the year.

Besides, Health Stations developed an investigation process with full forms and tools ready for initial investigation and treatment of food poisoning if it occurs in the area. Stations prepare food-poisoning monitoring books according to regulations. In particular, stations also open rapid test tracking books and perform rapid tests in supervision. Every year, the Health Stations advises Commune Steering Committees to issue a plan to inspect food safety of street food and increase inspection during peak periods. Health stations develop inspection procedures and conduct inspections at over 80% of the total number of facilities under management.

However, from reality, during the inspection process, inspecting units detected violating facilities and were not sanctioned administratively, but mainly issued reminders and did not announce the information on mass media, hence the effectiveness of state management as well as deterrence is limited. From the supervision sessions, the supervision team of Provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Office requested Health Stations to strengthen inspection and supervision of street food businesses; regularly inspect, supervise, and remind street food businesses to comply with food safety regulations according to the criteria (using hats, masks, gloves, and aprons according to regulations) and promptly list newly established street food businesses in the management area.

Doctor Huynh Minh Chin, Deputy Director of Provincial Department of Health: Street food businesses need to understand the law and apply food safety measures. Conditions for food safety at street food facilities are prescribed as follows: Places where street food is sold must be separated from toxic and polluting sources; food must be displayed for sale on tables, racks, shelves, and means ensuring food safety and street aesthetics. Raw materials for street food must ensure food safety and have clear origin; Eating utensils and food containers must ensure hygiene and safety; Packaging and materials in direct contact with food must not cause pollution to food; Have tools to protect against sun, rain, dirt, insects and harmful animals; There is enough water that meets technical standards to serve processing and business; Comply with health regulations, knowledge and practices for people directly preparing and selling food.

Reported by Kim Ha - Translated by Ngoc Huynh