Authorities in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi have ratified a VND35 billion ($1.65 million) project to improve food hygiene and safety at local restaurants from now to 2015. The project will target eating and drinking shops and stalls serving cooked or fast food in 176 wards in all 29 districts, said Deputy Director of the municipal Food Safety and Hygiene Department Hoang Thi Minh Thu. It will help raise the knowledge and awareness to obey regulations for over 85% of food safety officers and over 75% of staff at local catering service locations. Accordingly, a steering committee for food hygiene and safety and a food safety inspection team will be established in each ward and town to supervise the performance of food safety. Each clinic at wards and towns will have an official who is responsible for food safety. The officials will be trained and provided with certificates to take food samples by the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene Test. So far, 90% of eating and drinking service locations have pledged to fulfill food safety and hygiene standards, Ms. Thu said, adding that there was no food poisoning case in the first seven months of this year. (Vietnam News Aug 23 p3, http://baodientu.chinhphu.vn [1] Aug 19)
