Nguyễn Nguyên Phương, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, speaks at a conference held to review the first six months of the Cooperation Programme on Goods Quality Control in HCM City on September 26. — Photo courtesy of hcmcpv.org.vn

HCM City will expand the Cooperation Programme on Goods Quality Control to ensure that all products sold by all retailers meet the highest quality and safety standards and have a “Responsible green tick" label, according to its Department of Industry and Trade.

Speaking at a conference to review the first six months of the programme on September 26, Nguyễn Nguyên Phương, the department’ s deputy director, said there were concerning reports about mass food poisoning incidents in the city and agricultural export shipments being rejected due to quality issues.

So last year the city launched the programme to foster the production of safe and sustainable foods by encouraging voluntary proactive participation by all actors in the supply chain and raising accountability.

It is one of the first steps in building a truly sustainable supply chain to serve Vietnamese consumers and promote exports products to demanding markets, he said.

Under the programme, producers are encouraged to voluntarily improve quality control processes and detect and prevent defective products from reaching consumers, he said.

Retailers then cooperate in controlling product quality and preventing low-quality products from entering the market based on voluntary spirit.

They also prioritise distributing products that have earned the "Responsible green tick."

The department said eight major modern retail networks, Saigon Co.op, Satra, AEON, MM Mega Market, Central Retail, Bách Hóa Xanh, Wincomerce, and Kingfood Market, are part of the programme .

At the conference, representatives of the eight retailers provided feedback to help improve the programme.

Võ Thị Bích Thủy, deputy director of Saigon Co.op's quality management department, said Saigon Co.op has strict quality control everywhere in the process from raw material areas to circulation within the system.

The retailer has signed agreements with 23 suppliers to build a sustainable supply chain as part of the programme, she said, adding that it has encouraged other suppliers to take part in it.

Products involved in the programme have the green tick label, and price boards also feature the green tick to help consumers easily identify them, she said.

Businesses from other provinces and cities meet with distribution systems in HCM City at the Supply-Demand Connection Conference being held in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

Vũ Dương Quân, head of the retail management board at Satra, said the company has informed its suppliers about the progamme.

To encourage their participation in it, it offers them free display space for products with the green tick and has organised product sampling events to introduce and promote them to consumers, he said.

Despite designating separate shelves for products with the green tick, the limited number of such products means they do not attract significant consumer attention, he said, pointing out that stronger marketing is needed to reach more businesses and consumers.

A MM Mega Market executive said given the growing consumer focus on health and food safety, the initiative has both commercial and social significance.

But the programme requires the collective efforts of suppliers, distributors, consumers, and regulatory agencies.

Retail businesses and distributors said since the programme only began recently the number of signees remains modest.

To increase participation, there must be close cooperation between all stakeholders and more promotion of the programme, they said.

In addition, relevant agencies need to offer detailed guidance on the labeling process and the management of the "responsible green tick" label, they said.

Phương said the department would coordinate with other provinces and cities to expand the programme there and build a data system, evaluation standards and a common set of criteria for all suppliers.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that all products in the market satisfy the highest level of quality control and food safety, he said.

"Products entering the eight distribution systems, whether they have the green tick or not, will be removed from the system if they violate quality standards.

“HCM City prioritises high-quality products and rejects low-quality ones. If businesses don’t have the green tick, they are essentially jeopardising their own opportunities." — VNS