Ho Chi Minh City tightens food safety regulations with a focus on addressing online violations
HCMC People's Committee issues a food security plan, promoting digital transformation and strict enforcement against counterfeit and unlabeled food products.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has issued a strategic plan to ensure food security and safety within the city, following the effectiveness of Directive No. 17-CT/TW dated October 21, 2022, from the Secretariat of the Communist Party. This plan also concretizes the objectives for public health protection outlined in the Resolution of the 1st HCMC Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, affirming food safety as a core task linked to sustainable economic development.
To enhance management efficiency, the city is accelerating digital transformation and administrative reform. The HCMC Department of Food Safety is implementing its 2026 digital transformation roadmap, aiming to establish a shared database system. Connecting information across regulatory agencies will help optimize monitoring, process handling, and provide more convenient public services for the business community.
Furthermore, inspection, examination, and post-market surveillance will be vigorously strengthened. HCMC is focusing on strictly penalizing the production and trading of counterfeit food, products with unclear origins, as well as violations regarding advertising and trade activities in the online environment.
The plan also emphasizes the development of safe food supply chains and the expansion of clean agricultural production zones. Relevant departments, including the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Department of Industry and Trade, will engage in inter-agency coordination to execute thematic inspections of wholesale markets, collective kitchens, and industrial catering facilities to proactively prevent food poisoning risks.