Deputy PM Pham Thi Thanh Tra orders strict food safety enforcement in schools and zero-tolerance for violations
Deputy PM Pham Thi Thanh Tra mandates tighter food safety management, especially in school kitchens, following a rise in food poisoning incidents.
Facing complex food poisoning developments, particularly the sudden surge in incidents at school kitchens, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Head of the Inter-agency Steering Committee on Food Safety, chaired a critical meeting on July 14, 2026, to implement urgent measures.
During the first six months of 2026, the food safety management system made significant efforts. Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen reported that the Ministry advised the Government to issue Resolution No. 09/2026/NQ-CP and Resolution No. 15/2026/NQ-CP to address business obstacles, while currently finalizing the amended Law on Food Safety for submission to the National Assembly in October.
Inspection efforts have been vigorous: The health sector inspected 118,009 facilities, penalizing over 3,500 entities with fines totaling more than 20.2 billion VND. The People's Public Security forces also achieved notable results, prosecuting 95 cases with 192 defendants—a 265% increase in cases compared to the same period last year—demonstrating a 'zero-tolerance' approach to violations.
However, the food safety landscape remains challenging. In the first half of the year, 58 food poisoning outbreaks were recorded nationwide, affecting 1,573 people and resulting in 10 deaths. Specifically, 12 school-related poisoning cases impacted 741 students, a sharp increase from the previous year. The Deputy PM highlighted this as an alarming situation that requires immediate priority.
The Deputy PM stated: 'Schools must be the most comprehensively cared for and safest environment for the nation's future generation.' To improve the situation, she demanded a focus on developing a National Communication Program on Food Safety, accelerating digital transformation, and building a national food safety database spanning the entire supply chain.
Concluding the meeting, the Deputy PM instructed local authorities to enhance the roles of Chairpersons of People's Committees at all levels in food safety management. Competent forces, especially the Ministry of Public Security, must continue to dismantle networks producing and trading counterfeit goods and poor-quality food, treating this as a vital mission to protect the health and physical well-being of the nation's human resources.