Continue to replicate safe food businesses across the chain

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Pham Van Cuong said that in piloting "safe food stores along the chain" in 2017-2018, the Department had coordinated with relevant units to establish 99 piloting food safety stores at 12 markets in Bien Hoa, Long Khanh, Trang Bom, Thong Nhat and Tan Phu.

Due to the limited number of safe food stores in recent times, people still buy food at many unsafe locations. 

Since 2019, 75 safe food supply chains have been established (2019: 16 chains; 2020: 13 chains, 2021: 28 chains, 2022: 16 chains, 2023: 2 chains). Of these, 10 beef supply chains, 51 pork and chicken supply chains; 14 supply chains of vegetables, tubers and fruits. These chains mainly supply goods to convenience stores, the rest are small traders doing business at Hang Gon market (7 traders), Bao Vinh market (3 traders) and Binh Loc market (1 trader) of Long Khanh City.

Mr. Pham Van Cuong admitted that, since 2019, only Long Khanh City has implemented the process of certifying safe food business locations according to the chain specified in Decision No. 3075/QD-BNN -Quality management dated July 20, 2016 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Accumulated up to now, the number of safe food stores in the chain at markets in the province is 110 stores, not reaching the target as directed by the Provincial People's Committee.

Talking about the difficulties and obstacles in replicating safe food stores along the chain at markets, the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade said that because this was a voluntary activity, so the number of traders participating in the program was still limited. Small businesses were not interested in participating in the program because they did not know much about the benefits of establishing safe food stores and were afraid of the procedures during implementation.

​In addition, in the period 2019-2021, the Covid-19 pandemic affected the consumption at markets, due to travel restrictions to avoid infection causing difficulties in implementation, so the implementation of establishing safe food stores at markets is still slow. On the other hand, the required documents proving the origin of the product, certificate of food safety eligibility or VietGap certification or equivalent is complicated, because the goods are mainly taken from wholesale markets, through many intermediaries.

Talking about the solution, the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade said that the Provincial People's Committee had assigned the responsibility of the People's Committees of districts and cities to continue replicating in markets in the area to provide safe food sources for people from 2024 onwards according to the content of Official Dispatch No. 11468/UBND-KTNS dated October 7, 2019 of the Provincial People's Committee and Official Dispatch No. 7189/UBND-KT dated July 24, 2017 of the Provincial People's Committee. Every 6 months, the implementation results must be reported to the Provincial People's Committee (through the Department of Industry and Trade).

The Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to direct the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management Department to guide and support districts and cities in implementing the process of certifying safe food business locations according to Decision No. 3075/QD-BNN-QLCL dated July 20, 2016 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.