Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has sent an instruction to ministries and local governments asking to strengthen food safety inspection and food poisoning prevention.
The PM ordered the Ministry of Health in coordination with the ministries of Construction; Agriculture and Rural Development and municipal and provincial people committees to tighten control over water quality in food manufacturers and in residential blocks.
Annually, the Ministry of Health presides the national food safety action month from April 15 to May 15, aiming to raise local administrations' responsibility over food safety management as well as call for social participation in the issue.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development ( MARD) was assigned to manage production and sales of food and pesticides, veterinary medicines and plant protection drugs. MARD must also monitor residues of plant protection drugs used as preservative for agricultural produce to ensure safety for eaters.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has to strengthen efforts for food safety measures on items such as beer, wine, beverage and milk.
Mr. Dung instructed the Ministry of Health to tighten control over the content of advertisement of nutrition supplements and closely work with the Ministry of Information and Communications in dressing advertising. The two ministries must issue harsh penalties on violators who boast over the content of the products.
