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| A market watch official checks food at Big C Supermarket in Nam Dinh City, the northern province of Nam Dinh. A campaign on food safety is underway across the country. — VNA/VNS Photo Vu Sinh |
HA NOI (Biz Hub) — A publicity campaign on agricultural products safety in preparation for the upcoming Tet holiday, which falls on February 8, is underway across the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development campaign began last November, aimed at providing safe agricultural products for consumers and raising awareness of food safety and hygiene.
The ministry in co-ordination with Quality Management Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Aquatic Products has published a series of media products for producers and consumers during the three-month crackdown on food safety and hygiene.
Media products included video clips and leaflets that helped consumers realise the effects of unsafe food use and instructing farmers to use insecticides and veterinary drugs in their recommended dosages.
The campaign has been focused in key regions including Ha Noi, HCM City, and Dong Nai, Tien Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen provinces which are big suppliers of agricultural products.
Ha Noi Police's Department of Environmental Crimes Prevention in co-ordination with city authorities discovered 436 food-safety related-cases last December.
On December 22, environmental police force seized about five tonnes of contaminated pork at an individual animal-product outlet in Dan Phuong district.
Nguyen Thi Ly, the owner of the outlet, failed to show valid papers for the meat and business licence.
Ly said she usually sold pork to food processing workshops and cheap restaurants.
The city authorities and police fined the owner and suspended the outlet's operations.
The city's Agriculture and Rural Development Department inspectors in co-ordination with police force examined Dao Duc Safe Vegetable Growing Co-operative, and found that it collected a huge amount of vegetables in neighbouring district's markets, even illegally imported Chinese products.
The co-operative, in Dong Anh District signed contracts to supply clean agricultural products to three big supermarkets in Ha Noi.
Inspectors fined the co-operative VND24 million (US$1,066). — VNS