There is still a control gap
In early April, the case of about 190 students of Binh Quoi Tay Elementary School suspected of food poisoning, the agent identified as Salmonella bacteria - a common agent causing digestive tract infections related to food, continued to raise alarms about school food safety.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Khanh Phong Lan - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety said that safety assurance at collective kitchens has been emphasized. In the field of education, the unit has coordinated with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training to implement many inspection and supervision activities.
However, according to Ms. Lan, the current measures are not enough. Some recent events show that companies providing meals for schools have not ensured 100% conditions. When actually inspecting, there are still units that do not meet the requirements; even, through press reflections, more problems have been discovered. "Out of sight, there are still many problems. Therefore, it is necessary to tighten it further" - Ms. Lan emphasized.
According to Ms. Lan, the biggest difficulty currently is that inspection work is still mainly according to plan, having to be approved and notified in advance, causing the risk of coping at some facilities to still exist. From that reality, the unit is proposing to strengthen surprise inspections based on well-founded information.
Tightening from input to meal monitoring
Ms. Phan Hoang Ngan - representative of Hao Phat Catering Joint Stock Company, a unit providing about 12,000 meals per day for schools and hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City - informed that the enterprise is currently implementing 2 models including on-site kitchens and providing meals to schools.
According to Ms. Ngan, the biggest difficulty lies in choosing reputable raw material suppliers. Despite guidance from functional agencies, the selection is still carried out by businesses themselves. In addition, market price fluctuations also directly affect the development of menus and quality control.
Ms. Tran Tieu Quynh - Principal of Le Van Tam Primary School assessed that relying solely on administrative inspection is not enough. Cost pressure and price competition may cause some units to cut quality, leading to the risk of unsafety. In fact, there have been violations such as improper storage, using substandard materials or "crossing" inspection. According to Ms. Quynh, it is necessary to establish an inter-sectoral monitoring mechanism and create "reverse pressure" from the school itself on suppliers to ensure the quality of school meals.
Transparency of school meals with technology
The "Responsibility Green Stick" model and technical transaction testing on the pig market have brought remarkable practical experience, showing that it is possible to take advantage of market pressure and the distribution system to force suppliers to be transparent about information, comply with production processes, and ensure goods quality.
Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade - said that from the initial results, this model can completely expand to the field of providing food for schools. The orientation is to form "responsible green tick school kitchens", accompanied by a system of suppliers of standard, transparent and responsible raw materials. Currently, the Department is developing a comprehensive solution, expected to coordinate with the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Food Safety for implementation.
According to the plan, the summer vacation time will be used to survey, complete and adjust the plan, towards synchronous implementation right from the beginning of the new school year, ensuring practical effectiveness in improving the quality of school meals.
From a technology perspective, Mr. Dao Ha Trung - Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Association - said that the model is built on the foundation of the city's existing systems such as the supply chain of pork, meat and poultry eggs with traceability, along with the electronic traceability - recall platform and the "Responsibility Green Stick" program.
On this platform, technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and encryption standards are integrated to monitor and warn in real time. Each meal is managed as a complete product, with its own identification information; all input materials must ensure traceability, especially for high-risk groups.
After completion, each meal will be attached with a QR code, allowing schools, parents and students to check information from raw materials to processing and transportation processes. When risks are detected, the system can perform electronic recovery quickly and synchronously.
According to Mr. Trung, this approach helps management agencies to centrally supervise, reduce pressure on schools, support suppliers in transparency, and limit legal risks; and at the same time help parents proactively check their children's meals, reducing concerns about food safety.
Regarding costs, representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City High-Tech Association said that the deployment is calculated at a low level thanks to taking advantage of existing infrastructure, only generating a small additional amount, but in return, it is a higher level of control and transparency for the entire chain.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is implementing the Action Month for Food Safety 2026, with the theme Ensuring food safety, preventing food poisoning in food services and street food, lasting until May 15.
