National Assembly Chairman highlights 3 major shifts in food safety management in draft Law amendment
National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man proposes shifting food safety management from pre-inspection to risk-based management, prioritizing digital governance infrastructure.
On the afternoon of September 24, during the 6th session, the National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) discussed the draft Law on Food Safety (amended). National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man emphasized the urgent need for reforming management methods, shifting from pre-inspection mechanisms to risk-based management, while clarifying the responsibilities of regulatory bodies.
According to the National Assembly Chairman, the major bottleneck of the current law lies in the ambiguous division of responsibilities between ministries, as well as between central and local authorities. He proposed that the new law should target a single point of responsibility, establish a centralized data system, and manage the supply chain to ensure accountability. The classification of which food groups require pre-inspection, which ones fall under business self-responsibility, and which require post-inspection must be based on clear scientific criteria.
The National Assembly Chairman emphasized: "Do not use food safety as a reason to restore the 'ask-give' mechanism, but do not use administrative reform as an excuse to lower safety standards." Accordingly, products such as infant formula or health supplements will be classified as high-risk groups requiring strict oversight, while common items may be subject to post-inspection.
Regarding management infrastructure, the National Assembly Chairman suggested that the draft should include a separate chapter on data based on the principle of 'one-time declaration, multiple-time usage.' The goal is to create transparency and protect business secrets while ensuring the ability to trace origins rapidly in the event of an incident.
Chairman of the Law Committee Phan Chi Hieu also expressed consensus, affirming that amending the Law on Food Safety after 15 years of implementation is an inevitable step to address existing shortcomings and create a legal framework suitable for current international integration practices.
