Eat to skip meals, worry about the long run
At 5 pm, when hundreds of workers hurriedly finished their shifts, we caught Mr. Nong To Hieu (from Tuyen Quang) rushing to walk to the company to start the night shift from 6 pm to 6 am the next morning. The reversed pace of life makes his meals become irregular, depending on the shift meal and hasty choices in the market near the boarding area.
Working in the night shift, Mr. Hieu is supported by the company with a meal of about 30,000 VND. The rest, he mainly takes care of himself. Every time he goes to the kitchen himself, the male worker often buys familiar food at the market near the boarding area in Bau village (Thien Loc commune, Hanoi). However, that convenience comes with many concerns. "Recently, newspapers and radio have talked a lot about dirty food, so I am also worried. We eat every day without knowing the origin, it is very worrying," Mr. Hieu confided.
When the question "what to eat to feel secure" has not been answered, the male worker believes that clean, safe meals at affordable prices are still a distant desire.
With limited income, choosing safe food is not always easy. As a rented worker, he hopes that near his residence there will be more convenient supermarkets at affordable prices so that workers can access food sources of clear origin and guaranteed quality.
Not only Mr. Hieu, many other workers are also facing a similar reality: Eating to be full is mandatory, but eating safely is difficult to guarantee.
Lack of safe choices, workers "save themselves
In the late afternoon, at a nearby boarding house, Ms. Lo Thi Ha Quy was preparing a meal before starting her night shift from 8 pm. Living with a friend, to save costs, her roommate contributed money to cook together for 4 people. Each week, the cost of going to the market is about 500,000 VND - a spending level that must be carefully considered in the context of still tight income.
Although she is the person who directly goes to the market, Ms. Quy admits that she can hardly control the origin of food. "Even if I care, I don't know clearly where it is, so I still have to buy it to cook," she said.
To partially limit risks, Ms. Quy applies simple methods such as washing thoroughly, soaking in salt water before processing. "Doing so is to feel more secure, hoping not to eat food containing harmful chemicals. But if you get sick in the long term, it is very worrying," she shared.
For low-income workers, illness is not only a health problem but also an economic burden. "If you have to go to the hospital, the cost is a very big concern," Ms. Quy added. Therefore, the desire to have safe and cheap food outlets near the boarding area is becoming more urgent than ever.
Mr. Hieu's hurried steps or Ms. Quy's simple meal not only reflect the busy pace of life, but also show a smoldering worry. That is the worry about poor quality food.
According to a report by the Hanoi Labor Federation, there are currently about 167,000 workers working in industrial parks, export processing zones and high-tech zones. The demand for food consumption of this force is very large.
However, according to records in areas such as Nhue, Hau Duong, Bau villages (Thien Loc commune), many spontaneous markets have sprung up but business conditions are still limited, posing a potential risk of food safety and hygiene.
This reality poses an urgent requirement to control food quality in residential areas with many workers, and at the same time develop safe food distribution models at reasonable prices.
