Consumers expect a "filter" of safe goods
Ms. Cao Thi Minh Anh (Binh Trung ward) shared that her family has elderly people and young children, so she is always cautious when choosing goods, especially food and essential consumer products. Before each shopping trip, she spends time carefully checking information about the origin, origin and product labels. "There are times when I read news about products being warned on the market, but in reality, consumers find it very difficult to verify themselves. Therefore, the choice sometimes still has to rely on emotions and beliefs," Ms. Anh said.
This concern is also the common psychology of many consumers in Ho Chi Minh City in the context of increasingly abundant goods, diverse and difficult-to-control supply. However, the market is recording positive changes as the city implements quality control solutions right from the input, aiming to early screen for potentially risky products.
Mr. Le Van Hoang (Xuan Hoa ward) assessed that Ho Chi Minh City's construction of digital barriers to control goods from the input and data connection is necessary to protect consumers in the context of increasingly complex information. "If there is a clear and transparent warning system, I am willing to pay more to buy safe and verified products" - Mr. Hoang affirmed.
Recorded at supermarkets and convenience stores, many retail businesses are proactively tightening quality control, from choosing suppliers to tracing the origin of goods. Not only helping to minimize business risks, these efforts also contribute to strengthening consumer confidence, gradually forming a more transparent and safe shopping environment.
Standardizing the supply chain of goods
To realize this goal, Mr. Dao Ha Trung - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Association - said that the unit is coordinating with the Consulates General of countries with goods exported to Vietnam, along with multinational inspection corporations, to build a global product recall data portal. This system is expected to allow retailers in Ho Chi Minh City to proactively look up and identify products that have been warned or recalled abroad early, thereby strictly controlling them right from the stage of putting goods into the distribution system. Notably, groups of goods for the elderly, children and pregnant women will be prioritized for review due to higher risk levels.
At the same time, the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Association has coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade, 12 retail chains and 26 testing laboratories to implement a consistent quality control program for goods. This platform allows management of all product records, from certificates, packaging, origin information to testing results, and integrates authentication functions to detect and eliminate fake papers - one of the major "loopholes" of the current supply chain.
The application of technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) also helps increase data access, detect abnormalities and synchronize information between stakeholders.
Representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade said that connecting product recall data internationally will help the city be more proactive in market management, especially when imported goods are increasingly diverse. This is also an important step to improve consumer safety standards, approaching advanced management practices in the world.
In a more specific direction in supply control, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung - Deputy Head of the Trade Management Department (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade), said that the city has put into trial operation the pork trading floor and is expected to officially operate at the end of April. This model helps shorten the supply chain from farms to retail outlets, not only ensuring quality and traceability, but also optimizing intermediary costs, contributing to stabilizing retail prices and harmonizing benefits between stages in the chain.
