Inspecting a vegetable stall (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A conference discussing how to better manage street dining establishments took place in Hanoi on May 25, attracting policymakers, scientists and eateries’ owners.
This year, Hanoi strives to require 99 percent of unlicensed street vendors to sign a food safety commitment, and more than 85 percent of licensed vendors be eligible for food safety certificates.
All steering boards for food safety and hygiene in 30 districts, communes and townships will be trained in the field.
According to the municipal Department of Health, 17 percent of facilities have yet to meet food safety requirements.
A representative from the municipal Agency for Food Safety and Hygiene ascribed the situation to authorities’ lax monitoring and consumers’ easy attitude to choosing eateries, leading to a number of vendors showing a lack of responsibility for consumers’ health by using materials of ambiguous origin and failing to ensure cleanliness in their facilities.
Across the capital city, there are 5,418 registered dining establishments in 548 wards and communes. An estimated 78-86 percent of them have records on the origin of their food, and place food at least 60cm above the ground, while 80 percent have access to clean water and 82 percent are trained in food safety.
The conference was hosted by the municipal Department of Health.-VNA
