Faced with the continued occurrence of collective food poisoning in schools and businesses, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen has just sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Education and Training and the Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety (FSC) of provinces and cities, requesting to strengthen food safety assurance in schools and collective kitchens.
According to the Ministry of Health, although the authorities have strengthened control, inspection and handling of many violations, the risk of food insecurity is still high, especially at boarding meals for students and shift meals for workers. Meal organization is currently very diverse - from self-organized kitchens, contracts with catering suppliers to hiring cooking businesses - along with the activities of shops and street food around schools, making food safety work more complicated.
The Ministry of Health requires units to strictly implement legal regulations on food safety, especially the responsibility of heads of establishments when violations occur; regularly inspect and supervise collective kitchens at schools, industrial parks, medical facilities and street food services; suspend the operation of unqualified establishments.
At the same time, the Ministry of Health proposed to closely coordinate between the health sector, education and the Industrial Park Management Board in inspecting and post-inspecting the food supply chain from the origin stage to processing, preservation and transportation. Violations must be strictly handled and made public to warn the community.
Schools need to comply with regulations on school health, while promoting propaganda and education on food safety knowledge for students, workers and staff in charge. The Ministry of Health encourages the appreciation of facilities that comply well and mobilizes the participation of trade unions, youth unions, and parent-teacher representative committees in supervision, health assurance, and environmental sanitation.
The local health sector is also required to prepare plans, human resources, and materials to handle incidents, and at the same time provide professional training for medical staff on emergency care, treatment, and overcoming the consequences of food poisoning.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes that food safety in schools and collective kitchens is the responsibility of the whole society, in which the role of the head of the kitchen organization facility is the key. Strengthening management, supervision and raising public awareness not only helps prevent food poisoning, but also contributes to building a safe and healthy learning and working environment, towards the goal of protecting people's health and sustainable development.
