From November 1, Thu Duc will conduct surprise inspections of food supply facilities and school kitchens.

Từ 1.11 Thủ Đức kiểm tra đột xuất cơ sở cung cấp suất ăn, bếp trường học - Ảnh 1. — Inside a company providing boarding meals that was suddenly inspected by the interdisciplinary inspection team of Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City

That is the important content in the "Plan for surprise inspection of law enforcement in the field of food safety for collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools in Thu Duc City for the 2023-2024 school year" issued by the People's Committee of Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City this afternoon (October 30).

The People's Committee of Thu Duc City made the above move after Thanh Nien Newspaper and many press agencies reported information about the school meals of boarding students in this city in recent days.

Surprise inspection

The subjects of this inspection include: All collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools in Thu Duc City; establishments providing meals in schools; establishments producing, processing, and trading raw materials, additives, packaging, etc. used in the food processing process in collective kitchens; establishments that do not ensure food safety as posted on the mass media today; establishments with complaints and reports about food safety.

Notably, according to the plan issued by the People's Committee of Thu Duc City (HCMC), the inspection team will conduct unannounced inspections of the inspected units.

Regarding the inspection time, the above surprise inspections will be carried out during the peak month from November 1 to 30. After the above mentioned time, the inspection plans for interdisciplinary and specialized sectors that have been issued will continue to be implemented and additional plans will be advised to be suitable for each period.

The contents of inspection of food supply establishments, collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools in Thu Duc City include: food processing procedures; business registration certificates; food safety certificate (for establishments that are required to have a food safety certificate); sales contracts, purchase invoices, product declaration/self-declaration files, documents related to raw materials, food, and food additives.

In particular, the inspection team also checked whether the nutritional quality of the meals met the nutritional requirements for students; tested the water used in processing; checked the book of implementing the 3-step food inspection regime and sample storage.

Từ 1.11 Thủ Đức kiểm tra đột xuất cơ sở cung cấp suất ăn, bếp trường học - Ảnh 2. — Inside Phu Huu Primary School, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, where meals are temporarily suspended

The inspection team also inspected and evaluated food safety conditions at the facility, including facility hygiene conditions; equipment and tool conditions; and human conditions. At the same time, they also inspected legal documents and other contents as requested by the team members.

During the inspection, the inspection team will take samples of products that pose a risk of food safety and send them to designated testing centers for testing. Other relevant contents serving specialized management work will be as requested by the members of the interdisciplinary inspection team.

Inspection teams must report food safety inspection results at the end of the inspection or promptly report inspection results upon request.

The surprise inspections of school meal providers, collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools in Thu Duc City aim to assess the current status of compliance with legal regulations on ensuring food safety of collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools. In addition, it also aims to promptly detect, prevent, and handle violations of food safety, limit and prevent food safety incidents, and contribute to improving the care and protection of students' health. At the same time, there is a plan to promptly detect and correct shortcomings and weaknesses in state management of food safety.

Focused testing, ensuring objectivity and accuracy

Thu Duc City People's Committee directed the work of surprise inspection of school meal providers, collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools in Thu Duc City. It is necessary to conduct focused and key inspections to fully and specifically grasp the situation of compliance with food safety laws. The inspection work must ensure objectivity, accuracy, and compliance with legal processes and procedures; not hinder the normal operations of the organizations and individuals being inspected. Timely detect, correct, and strictly handle violations of food safety.

Từ 1.11 Thủ Đức kiểm tra đột xuất cơ sở cung cấp suất ăn, bếp trường học - Ảnh 3. — 6 schools in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City looking for new meal supply company

During the inspection process, it is necessary to combine propaganda and education on knowledge and legal regulations on food safety, raise awareness and consciousness of school management staff and food processors in food safety. At the same time, proactively implement and closely coordinate with relevant agencies in inspecting compliance with legal regulations on food safety for collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools.

Previously, on September 15, the People's Committee of Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City issued Official Dispatch No. 555 on the plan to inspect compliance with the law in the field of food safety for collective kitchens, canteens, and food services in schools in Thu Duc City. The inspection will take place throughout the 2023-2024 school year.

Thu Duc City inspected Phuong Anh Vinh Long catering company on October 27, 2023.

This afternoon, October 30, speaking with Thanh Nien Newspaper reporter, Mr. Nguyen Van Khuon, Head of Thu Duc City Health Department, Ho Chi Minh City said that on the morning of October 27, as soon as he read in the press about the kitchen of a local catering company storing spoiled food in the freezer, an interdisciplinary inspection team immediately went to Phu Huu Primary School to listen and verify information from the school - unit and went down to inspect the above company. The interdisciplinary inspection team of Thu Duc City includes the Health Department, Medical Center, Long Thanh My Ward People's Committee, Thu Duc City Police, Thu Duc City Economic Department, and market management team officers.

The inspection team immediately moved to Phuong Anh Vinh Long catering company for inspection.

The inspection team checked the food processing process, documents, records, food origin, and the facility performed well.

However, on October 27, the inspection team also noted that this unit had a food storage cabinet in the warehouse, which contained several kilograms of chicken feet, leftover sausages, and leather products. The facility explained to the team that it was pork after being filtered. "They also explained that this was for company employees to process into fishing bait, so they left it in this freezer, containing about a few kilograms. The team checked the students' two-week menu, there were no dishes made from chicken feet or pork skin, but there were sausages. The kitchen explained that the discarded sausage heads were kept in the freezer. The inspection team immediately warned, reminded, and requested that the cabinet not be left in the kitchen. The inspection team has a specific working record," said Mr. Khuon.

According to Mr. Khuon, the Thu Duc City Food Safety Board inspected Phuong Anh Vinh Long Catering Company once in May 2023. The company was also inspected again on October 9, 2023, as planned under Official Dispatch No. 555 of the Thu Duc City People's Committee and no violations were found.

The above company provides meals for 10 schools in Thu Duc City. 6 schools have terminated their contracts, but currently 4 schools continue to order meals.

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