Ho Chi Minh City tightens food safety management through unannounced inspection mechanism
HCMC People's Committee issued a new 2026 food safety plan, focusing on unannounced inspections of collective kitchens, markets, and production facilities upon public feedback.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has officially issued the 2026 action plan for the interdisciplinary Steering Committee on Food Safety. Accordingly, the city will strengthen inspection and post-inspection activities, reinforcing peak periods during major holidays such as the Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival.
A key highlight of this plan is the implementation of unannounced inspections of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic product facilities, collective kitchens, and traditional markets upon receiving risk warnings or public feedback. This measure aims to ensure timeliness in detecting and preventing potential food safety hazards.
Additionally, the HCMC Food Safety Department will enhance digital oversight, focusing on reviewing advertisements for functional foods and health supplement products. Acts of trading counterfeit or origin-unknown food items in e-commerce and multi-level marketing models will be strictly addressed to protect public health.
Alongside food management, the Ministry of Science and Technology is proposing a new decree on administrative penalties in the field of science and technology. The proposed maximum fines are 50 million VND for individuals and 100 million VND for organizations, specifically targeting violations of scientific integrity such as data fabrication or plagiarism.