How would you assess the current state of food safety in Vietnam, and what are the most pressing issues causing public concern?

Brian G. Bedard, director of Food Safety and Animal Health at Alinea International

The most pressing public health issues related to food safety concern the level of foodborne illness outbreaks, especially those associated with bacterial contamination through inadequate hygiene, risky food handling practices, and inadequate sanitation in the food service industry. This includes schools, commercial kitchens, public markets, and even among consumers’ home food preparation.

While chemical contaminant residues like pesticides, fertiliser, and veterinary drugs have more long-term health impacts, the contamination with bacterial pathogens is of more immediate concern.

This comes from both public and business awareness, and shortcomings in management and enforcement. Compliance with hygiene, cleaning sanitation and disinfection among food business operators (FBO) should be compulsory, as in many countries, with accompanying legislation and robust inspection and enforcement.

Food safety culture should be imbedded in all businesses and organisations through awareness raising, training, and enforcement through both government inspection and required audit certifications, as it is in many countries, including Canada.

Food handler training certifications, for example, are mandatory in many countries to be able to work in the food service industry. I suggest all consumers ask their food service providers and vendors in markets and restaurants if they and the cooks have received any food service training, and demand such.

In your opinion, does Vietnam’s current policy and legal framework on food safety provide sufficient deterrence and protection for consumers’ health?

Vietnam’s current food safety law is recognised as being aligned with CODEX international standards but is currently being updated to improve it. We hope that the review will consider a more integrated approach to food safety management in Vietnam with a single agency charged with the food safety assurance and oversight mandate with authority, accountability, and sufficient resources to continue to modernise the food safety management system in Vietnam.

A critical aspect is that many of the regulations are based on voluntary Vietnamese standards, when many of the requirements should be enforceable QCVNs (Vietnamese technical regulations). At the same time, a more robust approach to risk-based food safety management could be imbedded in the new food safety law.

VietGAP for farms, HACCP for processing, and food handler training programmes for all service providers could all be compulsory requirements.

What measures do you think should be taken in the near future to enhance the effectiveness of food safety management in Vietnam, both in terms of legislation and practical implementation?

We need to update the food safety law to ensure a robust, integrated risk-based food safety management system under and single agency or competent authority, which is the term used internationally.

This will require adoption and establishment of databases, synchronised FBO licensing registries, and digital transformation, such as the new national traceability portal to ensure credible labelling and transparency for all foods in Vietnam, so that government and consumers can track the food supply risks and respond with government enforcement or consumer preferential buying practices for safe food.

Compulsory food safety management programming should be aligned with international best practice for on-farm production, food processing, public markets, and the food service industry, including mandatory food handler training. Food safety culture starts with CEOs to drive adoption throughout.

Comprehensive ongoing campaigns for consumer awareness raising should be strengthened, especially in schools, to reinforce demand-driven food safety compliance by consumers so that supermarkets, retailers, public markets, and food service providers. All FBOs recognise they are directly liable for food safety and will lose customers if they do not have assured, certified food safety compliance from all their suppliers in their supply chain, supported by stringent government oversight.

Food safety culture should be imbedded by emphasising individual behaviour change for food safety practices throughout agri-food value chains.