First int’l forum on hygiene food comes to VN

Illustration photo

Under the motto “Safer food safety, better business,” the forum discussed how to invest in food safety and foster a food safety culture could help companies unlock business opportunities, create jobs and contribute to economic growth. 

Experience in safe food investment and building of food safety culture were shared.

This is the first time the forum of this kind organized in Viet Nam where food sector annually expands 15%, becoming one of the leading emerging markets in Asia. 

According to Mr. Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Viet Nam, Viet Nam is a country with agricultural advantages. Revenues of over US$18 billion from farm produce exports in 2017 is an encouraging sign demonstrating the country’s constant growth in the field.

However, Viet Nam also suffers a loss of approximately US$700 million annually due to poor food safety, which has affected the health and even the lives of consumers. Therefore, in order to build trademarks for Vietnamese farm produce and food, the government needs to deploy pertinent strategies, including the application of practical experience from a number of countries around the world, he added.

Sharing Dione’s view, Gabor Fluit, General Director of De Heus Asia, which specializes in animal nutrition, said that, as the domestic market is unceasingly growing, Vietnamese consumers are getting more demanding in selecting food and the demand for safe food is becoming more urgent.

This means Viet Nam needs to keep tighter control of food safety standards, as well as design policies encouraging and assisting partners, especially businesses, to participate in the safe food chains, he said.

New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam Wendy Matthews lauded legal regulations and science as the two important factors for managers to take control of food safety and for countries to build food reputations of their own.

She said that, in her country, food safety has been built into a culture, with responsibility closely attached to businesses, farmers and consumers. Whenever a food safety incident occurs, the supplier must take all responsibility and will be seriously punished. New Zealand stands ready to reward the companies which perform well in the issue of ensuring food safety./.

By Kim Anh