Decision No. 28/QD-TTg on approving the National Program to Control Microbial Pollution and Chemical Residues in Food for the period up to 2010

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the National Program on Microbial Contamination and Residue Control in Food for the period up to 2010

quá trình dư hóa chất trong thực phẩm giai đoạn đến năm 2010

________________________

 PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on Health Care for the People dated June 30, 1989;

Pursuant to Decision No. 35/2001/QĐ-TTg dated March 19, 2001 of the Prime Minister approving the Strategy for Health Care and Protection of the People's Health for the period 2001-2010;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Health at Circular No. 3313/TTR-BYT dated April 29, 2002,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approves the National Program on Microbial Contamination and Residue Control in Food for the period up to 2010 with the following main contents:

1. Objectives:

Determining the Administrative Reform Index to monitor and evaluate in a substantive, objective, and fair manner the annual implementation results of administrative reform of ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries (referred to as ministries), and people's committees of provinces and central-supervised cities (referred to as provinces) during the implementation of the Comprehensive Program on Administrative Reform of State Agencies for the 2011-2020 period.

Ensuring food safety for domestic consumption and export. Proactively monitoring risks of contamination from cultivation to production, processing, circulation, and consumption of food to reduce food poisoning incidents and deaths caused by food poisoning; limiting foodborne diseases to protect public health and improve the population quality, maintain social security and order.

b) Specific Objectives:

- Establishing a system for monitoring microbial contamination and chemical residues in food.

- Establishing standards for food quality and safety, particularly high-risk food groups.

- Planning a testing system, enhancing testing capacity for food quality and safety at central, regional, provincial, and city levels.

2. Solutions:

a) Establishing a food inspection and monitoring system.

b) Drafting and promulgating legal regulations on food quality management and safety; criteria for assessing food quality and safety, establishing and applying sanctions for violations of food safety laws.

c) Developing and implementing safe food production and processing models nationwide to serve exports and domestic consumption.

d) Establishing self-management models for the proper use of plant protection chemicals, veterinary drugs, and safe food processing methods.

đ) Monitoring food safety implementation.

e) Enhancing the responsibility and knowledge of farmers directly involved in food production and food producers regarding food quality and safety before consumers.

Strengthening communication and education on food safety knowledge and legal knowledge for farmers, those directly involved in food production and processing, and food service providers.

3. Implementation Activities of the Program:

a) Project One: Control of microbial contamination and chemical residues (including food additives) in food products.

- Objective:

Enhance the ability to control and limit microbial and harmful chemical contaminants in food and food additives. Proactively control food poisoning and reduce diseases caused by contaminated food.

- Implementation Content:

+ Establishing legal regulations on food safety. + Establishing a testing system capable of evaluating and controlling food contamination nationwide.

+ Establishing technical standards for assessing the quality and safety of food additives used in processing and sold in retail form as raw materials.

+ Establishing model practices for implementing measures to control food contamination and foodborne diseases, and providing food additives.

- Implementing Agency:

The Ministry of Health in collaboration with relevant ministries and sectors

b) Project Two: Inspection and monitoring of biological and chemical residues in agricultural products and food.

- Objective:

Strengthening inspection, monitoring, and utilizing scientific and technological advances in seeds, biological and herbal medicines, biological preparations, organic fertilizers, and advanced techniques in clean and safe agricultural production for domestic consumers, contributing to improving competitiveness and promoting agricultural product and food exports.

Strive to significantly reduce chemical residues in agricultural products and food by 2010.

- Implementation Content:

+ Controlling biological and chemical residues in agricultural products.

+ Controlling food safety in animal husbandry, slaughter, and livestock products.

+ Controlling the quality of livestock feed.

+ Controlling fertilizer quality.

+ Establishing safe food ingredient production areas.

- Implementing Agency:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with relevant ministries and sectors.

c) Project Three: Control of microbial contamination and chemical residues in aquatic food.

- Objective:

Enhancing the ability and effectiveness of controlling microbial pathogens and harmful chemical residues in aquatic products to protect consumer health and enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese aquatic products domestically and internationally.

- Implementation Content:

+ Establishing and completing legal and technical standards related to aquatic food hygiene and safety.

+ Enhancing testing capacity for quality, hygiene, and safety indicators in aquaculture feed, farmed and wild-caught aquatic products.

+ Training and guiding organizations and individuals involved in fishing, farming, processing, purchasing, storing, transporting, and circulating aquatic products on industry regulations and standards for ensuring hygiene and safety.

+ Supervising, inspecting, and recognizing safe farming areas, clean production farms, and aquatic product production and trading facilities that meet hygiene and safety standards.

- Implementing Agency:

The Fisheries Department in collaboration with relevant departments and sectors.

d) Project Four: Control of microbial contamination and harmful chemical residues during food processing.

- Objective:

Controlling the entire food processing process from raw materials to finished products through management and technology to ensure product quality meets hygiene and safety requirements, reducing the risk of microbial contamination and harmful chemical residues.

- Implementation Content:

+ Drafting and promulgating standards and technical procedures, quality management systems suitable for Vietnam's conditions, to guide food production and processing facilities in their application.

+ Establishing a network for quality, hygiene, and safety management in the food processing industry.

+ Establish a program to ensure quality and food safety hygiene from the raw material stage to eliminate harmful factors in food production and processing materials.

+ Develop a program to control food safety hygiene during the use of technology and equipment in the food processing industry.

+ Build some models of small and medium-sized food processing facilities applying Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).

- Implementing agency: The Ministry of Industry shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors.

4. Allocation of responsibility for directing implementation:

a) Ministry of Health.

Monitor microbial contamination and chemical residues in fresh foods, raw materials, food additives, functional foods, high-risk foods, and imported foods; domestically produced foods, foods processed for domestic consumption and export.

b) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

Monitor animal and plant diseases, seeds and livestock breeds; monitor biological pollution and chemical residues in raw materials before, during the production process of raw materials (fresh, processed), during transportation, and import and export.

c) Ministry of Science and Technology:

Coordinate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop and promulgate Vietnamese standards on food quality and safety hygiene.

d) The Ministry of Trade:

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Health and related ministries to monitor food business activities in the market, especially high-risk food groups for contamination; monitor food labels and counterfeit foods.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in managing centralized livestock slaughterhouses and implementing GHP and HACCP at these facilities.

d) Ministry of Industry:

- Monitor microbial contamination and chemical residues during food processing.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Health to build model points and implement GHP, GMP, and HACCP at small and medium-sized food processing facilities.

e) Ministry of Fisheries:

Monitor aquatic animal and plant diseases; microbial contamination and chemical residues in raw materials before, during the production process of raw materials (fresh, processed), during transportation, and export.

g) People's Committee of localities:

Shall be responsible for closely coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to implement policies for managing food quality and safety hygiene within their jurisdiction, implementing the Project at the local level; direct departments and agencies at the local level to establish safe agricultural and food production areas; build centralized livestock slaughterhouses that meet hygiene requirements and protect the environment; build community models to supervise food quality and safety hygiene at commune and ward levels; direct the implementation of measures to ensure food quality and safety hygiene.

5. Funding for Implementation:

Annually, the Ministry of Health and related ministries shall cooperate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to develop plans and budgets for implementing the Project and submit them for approval by the Prime Minister.

Source of funds:

- In 2002, use funds from the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Project under the National Target Program to prevent certain social diseases, dangerous epidemics, and HIV/AIDS.

- From 2003 to 2010: use part of the budget from the state treasury; part raised through contributions from food production enterprises and securing cooperation from international organizations supporting the Project.

Article 2. The Minister of Health shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to organize the implementation of this Decision.

The main implementing agencies of projects shall be responsible for directing project development and submitting for approval according to regulations; organizing project implementation.

Annually, the Ministry of Health shall take the lead in compiling and reporting the results of implementation to

Article 3. This Decision takes effect from the date of signature.

Article 4. The Minister of Health, ministers of other ministries, chairmen of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-affiliated agencies, and chairmen of provincial and municipal people's committees directly under the central government are responsible for enforcing this Decision./.