Regarding the responsibility for preventing and combating fake and poor quality food, the Ministry of Health said that food safety management is regulated in the Law on Food Safety, including food safety management by the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), Industry and Trade and People's Committees at all levels.

The Ministry of Health also said that according to regulations, most foods are self-declared and there are 4 groups that need tighter control, so the product declaration must be registered with the competent State agency before being put into circulation on the market.

The batch of fake milk was discovered being packaged. Photo: CAND Newspaper

According to the Ministry of Health, post-announcement inspection of products is extremely important. As the standing member of the Central Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety, every year, the Ministry of Health develops and issues a post-inspection plan for food production and trading establishments as a basis for ministries, branches and localities to develop and implement their own plans; coordinate with other branches to strictly handle acts of false advertising and consumer deception.

The Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) also affirmed that it regularly coordinates closely with units of the Ministry of Public Security to conduct periodic and surprise inspections of food production and trading establishments under its authority; coordinates in professional activities, provides relevant documents for the police to use as a basis for prosecuting cases, especially in cases of production and trading of fake food and food containing prohibited substances.

Every year, the Food Safety Department has documents directing the Department of Health of localities and the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City to carry out food safety post-inspection work in the area.

In addition, the Ministry of Health has coordinated with the Ministry of Public Security and relevant ministries and branches to research and propose increasing sanctions for administrative violations of food safety for groups of common violations.

Currently, the Ministry of Public Security is proposing to amend the Penal Code for acts related to food safety. This will be an effective tool to strictly handle subjects who deliberately produce and trade in fake and unsafe food.

Regarding the case of large-scale production, trading and consumption of fake milk powder, operating in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, the Investigation Police Agency - Ministry of Public Security has initiated a case.

The case is under investigation. The Ministry of Health has and will continue to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security on professional issues so that the Ministry of Public Security has a basis to handle it in accordance with the law and clearly investigate the responsibilities of related organizations and individuals.

Previously, the Ministry of Public Security had just dismantled a large-scale fake milk powder production line in Hanoi and neighboring provinces. The fake milk powder production line specialized in producing milk for pregnant women and young children, producing 573 brands of powdered milk of all kinds, including milk for people with diabetes, kidney failure, premature babies, and pregnant women.

For about 4 years, the subjects have sold various types of milk to the market, bringing in nearly 500 billion VND in revenue. The police have prosecuted and temporarily detained 8 defendants for the crimes of "Producing and trading in counterfeit food products" and "Violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences". The police determined that the quality indicators of some substances of the powdered milk were below 70% of the declared level, meeting the conditions to be identified as counterfeit goods.

Ministry of Health requests review of information related to facilities producing and trading fake milk

The Department of Food Safety (Ministry of Health) has just issued Official Dispatch No. 733/ATTP-PCTTR to the Department of Health of provinces and cities; the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Food Safety Management Board of Da Nang regarding the review and provision of information related to establishments producing and trading fake milk.

Accordingly, recently, the Investigation Police Agency (Ministry of Public Security) has discovered a chain of production, trading and consumption of fake milk powder in extremely large quantities in Hanoi and neighboring provinces. The Department of Food Safety requested the Department of Health, the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City, and the Da Nang Food Safety Management Board to review the product declaration of 11 companies on the list and their branches (if any). If the companies have declared products locally, please provide information on the quantity of declared products, the name of each declared product locally; review the issuance of certificates of qualified food safety facilities locally and inspection, examination, post-inspection, and handling of administrative violations from 2021 to present.

List of companies, including: Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; Hacofood Group Pharmaceutical Nutrition Joint Stock Company; Group 4 International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; Big Four Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; Long Khang Group International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; BFF Medical Nutrition Joint Stock Company; Safaco Group International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; Darifa Group International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; Win CT International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company; Phuc An Khang Pharmaceutical Nutrition Joint Stock Company; Asia Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/trach-nhiem-cua-bo-y-te-den-dau-trong-vu-gan-600-loai-sua-bot-gia-210125.html