April is the transitional season in the South, posing many risks of food insecurity due to prolonged hot weather, making food easily spoiled and degraded.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Khanh Phong Lan - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety said that from the beginning of the year to now, Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country have still recorded suspected and identified cases of food poisoning, showing that challenges in ensuring food safety are still present.
According to Ms. Lan, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety focuses on 3 main task groups. The first is to raise awareness and promote propaganda for people and businesses about responsibility in producing and consuming safe food.
The second is to strengthen inspection, supervision, handling violations and publicize violations for the community to jointly supervise. The third is to proactively prevent food poisoning, considering prevention as the central goal instead of only handling when incidents occur.
In addition, training and propaganda work is implemented diversely through many channels, from organizing classes directly for businesses to media through newspapers and websites to guide people on how to choose, preserve and use safe food.
Ms. Lan emphasized that to ensure sustainable food safety, it is necessary to strictly control from the initial source of raw materials, especially fresh agricultural products.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is implementing the Action Month for Food Safety in 2026, with the theme Ensuring food safety, preventing food poisoning in food services and street food, lasting until May 15.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety emphasized that in the hot season, each family and food business establishment needs to raise awareness of health protection by selecting, processing and preserving food in accordance with regulations.
Compliance with food safety guidelines not only helps reduce the risk of poisoning but also contributes to building a safe consumption environment for the community. At the same time, it contributes to the city effectively controlling food safety risks in the hot season.
