Toward a nationwide unified food safety management framework

On April 16, a Ministry of Health delegation led by Minister Dao Hong Lan conducted an inspection and evaluation of Ho Chi Minh City’s food safety management model - the only locality in Vietnam currently operating a dedicated Department of Food Safety.

A necessary model for a megacity

Reporting to the delegation, Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, said the city is a megacity of more than 14 million people, with over 30,000 food production and business establishments. After six years piloting the Food Safety Management Board and transitioning to a full-fledged Department, the first centralized model of its kind nationwide, the city has made significant strides in food safety governance, aligning with the realities of a large urban center and the goal of protecting public health.

The establishment of the department has consolidated state management of food safety under a single authority. This is considered a major policy breakthrough by the city’s leadership, aimed at sustainable development, social welfare, and the prioritization of public health.

The model has addressed shortcomings from the pilot phase and markedly improved the effectiveness and efficiency of oversight.

Since its establishment, the department has inspected nearly 22,800 establishments and sanctioned hundreds of food safety violations, with total fines amounting to billions of Vietnamese dong.

Having a dedicated agency has also helped standardize and streamline licensing and appraisal procedures, reducing time and costs while facilitating compliance for businesses and residents.

Throughout implementation, the department has adhered to the principle of “promoting clean food, combating unsafe food,” covering the entire chain from production to distribution. Efforts have focused on developing safe food supply chains, ensuring clean agricultural products, enhancing traceability, and implementing stricter quality monitoring. At the same time, the city has promoted modern retail models, improved traditional trading practices, and moved toward establishing safe food markets.

Inter-agency coordination has been strengthened, with clearer delineation of responsibilities and broader participation from departments, local authorities, and social organizations. In the event of incidents, monitoring and rapid response systems enable timely traceability and handling.

However, Lan acknowledged ongoing challenges, including insufficient human resources relative to the scale of oversight, uneven testing equipment, and persistent food safety risks, particularly in street food and collective kitchens.

Gradual implementation with room for improvement

Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said the model has been developed through a process of “learning by doing and continuous refinement” from the pilot phase to full implementation.

“In practice, this is a necessary model, suited to the characteristics of a large urban center with high management demands and growing pressure to safeguard public health,” he said.

However, Cuong noted that under the current two-tier local government structure, decentralizing food safety management to commune and ward levels remains unfeasible due to limited capacity at the grassroots level.

“Food safety is fundamental, as all health issues begin with daily meals. Maintaining and refining a specialized management model is essential to improving community health outcomes,” he added.

Ho Chi Minh City has proposed that further institutional development of the model be aligned with the functions and responsibilities of the two-tier local government system, while ensuring sufficient authority and tools for both the department and grassroots levels to operate effectively.

One practical issue highlighted is the slow pace of investigation, testing, and public disclosure of food safety violations. Even the fastest cases take around 7 days, while many take 20 days to a month. By the time results are released, public attention has often waned, reducing the effectiveness of warnings and deterrence despite significant efforts by authorities.

This underscores the need to further refine the model, improve tools, and enhance conditions for faster and more effective responses. The city also recommended reviewing and improving the system of standards and regulations.

At the meeting, Minister Dao Hong Lan praised the department’s performance, noting that the Ministry of Health is working with other ministries and agencies to develop a proposal for a unified food safety management authority to be submitted to the Government and later to the Politburo, in line with Directive No. 17 issued in 2022.

She emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City is a pioneer, with end-to-end experience from pilot to full operation. Lessons learned in organizational structure, coordination mechanisms, resource allocation, and real-world problem-solving provide critical input for refining the national proposal.

“This is not only Ho Chi Minh City’s experience but an important practical foundation for building a new nationwide food safety management model,” she said, calling on the city, particularly its Department of Food Safety, to continue contributing to a proposal that is feasible, with clearly defined resources, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms.

Previously, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Bac Ninh piloted food safety management boards. Under National Assembly Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 on special mechanisms for the development of Ho Chi Minh City, the city is currently the only locality upgraded to a full Department of Food Safety.

The establishment of the department aligns with the policy of centralizing state management of food safety under a single authority, as outlined in Directive 17 of the Party Secretariat on strengthening food security and safety in the new context.

In the context of developing new special mechanisms, several proposals suggest allowing Ho Chi Minh City to apply higher standards than the national baseline, in line with its level of development and management demands as a megacity.