Health ministry urges inspection of wedding venues in Ho Chi Minh City following Tuoi Tre’s food safety findings

The Food Safety Authority under the ministry on Tuesday issued an official request asking the municipal department to promptly inspect and verify information regarding alleged food hygiene and safety violations at wedding and convention centers and food establishments.

According to the authority, it received reports from Tuoi Tre highlighting unsanitary conditions in the kitchen area of Adora wedding and convention center, raising concerns about compliance with food safety regulations.

In response, and to safeguard public health, the authority urged the municipal department to swiftly adopt inspection and enforcement measures.

Specifically, the department was instructed to conduct a thorough inspection and verification of Adora’s compliance with food safety regulations.

It was also urged to expand inspections into wedding and convention venues and food service businesses across the city to promptly detect and strictly handle any violations.

Inspection and enforcement results are required to be proactively made public to warn the community and help raise awareness and compliance with food safety laws among food service operators.

In addition, the authority required the municipal department to strictly implement directives from the prime minister and the Ministry of Health on food safety, strengthen prevention of food poisoning, ensure food safety in schools and collective kitchens, and step up efforts to combat counterfeit food and food-related poisoning incidents.

Inspection and supervision activities should also be aligned with the implementation of plans by the Central Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety, particularly to ensure food safety during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet.

The authority also requested that the city’s department report inspection and handling results in accordance with regulations for monitoring and consolidation.

Earlier, Tuoi Tre published an article titled ‘Investigation: Behind glittering wedding halls in Ho Chi Minh City are lapses in food safety, oversight,’ which revealed that behind the luxurious and polished appearance of banquet venues lay numerous alarming gaps in management and food hygiene practices.

Following the publication, many readers expressed frustration and concern over the current state of food safety.