The inspection and handling must be carried out in accordance with the prescribed legal authority
The Ministry of Public Security has just dismantled a large-scale counterfeit milk production, trading and consumption ring with revenue of up to nearly 500 billion VND, involving Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.
What is worrying is that nearly 600 types of fake starch were used in this case, including products for people with diabetes, kidney failure, premature birth, premature labor, and pregnant women.
The employment case has caused public confusion, and at the same time raised many questions about the effectiveness of managing, inspecting, and supervising the market of dairy products and nutritional foods.
Decree 15/2018 of the Government detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on Food Safety, the State management of dairy products is clearly defined according to each group and specialized agency.
The Department of Industry and Trade of localities is responsible for managing commonly processed dairy products within the province, excluding micronutrient supplements, functional foods or pharmaceuticals with special nutritional components. This product group is currently managed by the Department of Health and the Food Safety Sub-Department.
Therefore, according to current regulations, the health sector is the competent unit for specialized inspection, periodic inspection and post-inspection of food production and supply activities of the two enterprises producing and trading fake milk mentioned above.
Speaking to Lao Dong, a leader of the Hanoi Market Management Department said that the Market Management force is only allowed to inspect the product group managed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. For products in the health sector, the Market Management force is only allowed to inspect when there are signs of violations, based on the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations and current regulations.
The inspection and handling must be carried out in accordance with the prescribed legal authority, to ensure transparency, accuracy and avoid overlap in State management activities.
The Market Management Force cannot inspect enterprises under the management of other sectors if there are no clear signs of violations or an official coordination request from the specialized agency. Strict compliance with legal regulations is a mandatory principle, demonstrating professionalism and transparency in public service activities.
Many food safety violations have been detected and handled
The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade said that from 2021 to now, it has inspected and conducted post-inspections of 289 enterprises in the food sector, handling administrative violations for 47 cases, with a total fine of nearly 400 million VND.
At the same time, the Hanoi Market Management Department (now the Hanoi Market Management Department) inspected and handled 2,256 violations related to food safety (FS), fined more than 31.6 billion VND and forced the destruction of violating goods worth nearly 56.7 billion VND.
For dairy products alone, there have been 53 cases of fines with a total amount of 546 million VND. The amount of milk products seized and destroyed was 5,853 cans, boxes, and bottles, equivalent to a value of more than 200 million VND.
In 2024, the Hanoi Market Management Department transferred two serious cases related to dairy products and functional foods to the investigation agency.
In one case, in coordination with Gia Lam District Police, 3,000 cans of unlabeled starch and starch of unknown origin were discovered and seized; test results showed that one ingredient only met less than 70% of the published standards.
The second case discovered more than 123,600 units of milk-related products at a business in Dong Anh showing signs of removing the expiration date, with a quality index of less than 70%. Both cases are being investigated and handled according to the law.
In order to improve the effectiveness of food safety management and supervision in general and dairy products in particular, the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has been implementing many measures such as promoting propaganda on food safety laws by target group (management, businesses, consumers); encouraging people to report and boycott unsatisfactory food.
Strengthen post-inspections of production and business establishments in the Industry and Trade sector; organize surprise inspections, especially during peak times such as "Action Month for Food Safety", Tet and festivals.
Direct the Market Management force to proactively grasp market developments, detect and strictly handle the acts of producing and trading counterfeit and smuggled food, especially dairy products. serious cases will be transferred to the prosecution agency for criminal handling.
Publicly publicize information on mass media, the Department's electronic information page and feedback reception systems such as iHanoi, hotline, to promptly receive and process information from people and the press.
