The Ministry of Health received an Official Dispatch from the Petition and Supervision Committee on the proposal to respond to voters' petitions sent after the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly, in which voters of Hung Yen province petitioned:
"In recent years, there have been many consecutive cases of mass food poisoning in schools, industrial kitchens, and small processing facilities. Each incident leaves serious health consequences and reduces consumer confidence in domestic products.
In practice, the authorities have discovered and punished many establishments for violating regulations on food safety and hygiene, but only administrative penalties and fines are not enough to deter.
Propose that the Government and the Ministry of Health adjust and amend legal documents related to food hygiene and safety to suit the current situation, have strong enough sanctions, and strictly punish violations of food hygiene and safety".
After studying the content of the recommendations and reviewing the relevant documents, the Ministry of Health would like to respond as follows: Every year, as the Standing Agency of the Central Steering Committee for Inter-sectoral Food Safety, the Ministry of Health issues plans to implement measures to ensure food safety; focusing on two main contents: promoting the dissemination and education of food safety laws and strengthening inspection, examination and handling of food safety violations.
Based on the Plan of the Central Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety, the Steering Committee requires all provinces/cities under the Central Government to base on food production and trading conditions as well as the food poisoning situation in previous years in the locality to develop a suitable post-inspection plan, ensuring safety and preventing food poisoning, especially for foods at high risk.
Currently, sanctions for food safety violations have been stipulated in the Penal Code; Decree No. 115; Decree No. 98; Decree No. 117; Decree No. 124 and Decree No. 117 of the Government.
On April 9, 2025, the Ministry of Health issued Report No. 421/BC-BYT on increasing sanctions for food safety violations to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. In particular, it is proposed to increase the penalty for violations of food safety and amend and supplement Decree No. 115/2018/ND-CP as amended and supplemented in Decree No. 124/2021/ND-CP, proposing to increase the penalty by 1.2 to 2 times for acts such as using unknown ingredients, prohibited additives, and advertising in violation of regulations.
To improve the effectiveness of food safety management, the Ministry of Health is coordinating with relevant ministries, branches and units to perfect the legal system and tighten sanctions.
On July 17, 2025, the Ministry established a Drafting Team for the draft Law on Food Safety (amended), organizing a public consultation with ministries, branches, associations, and localities and expected to submit to the National Assembly in 2026.
At the same time, implementing the direction of the Government, the Ministry has coordinated with relevant agencies to develop a Draft Resolution on registration and promulgation of food products and a Draft Decree to replace Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP; on September 5, 2025, the Ministry of Health submitted to the Government on these drafts.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Health will continue to coordinate with relevant ministries and branches (Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Trade) to deploy solutions to coordinate in handling violations of food safety that have caused public concern in recent times such as: production and trading of fake food, using banned substances, substances from the list, taking advantage of social networks, selling online to advertise false information, deceiving consumers; at the same time, will continue to communicate and apply information technology to promptly warn of unsafe food, publicize violating facilities for people to know.
Strengthen inspection, examination, surprise inspection, supervision of food security and safety assurance; litigate, prevent, and strictly handle organizations, individuals, and production and business establishments that violate regulations on food security and safety.
At the same time, it will enhance the responsibility of People's Committees at all levels, improve the capacity of the inspection system in localities, and provide professional training for officials working in local food safety management in inspection, examination, and handling of food safety violations.
