Saigon gets first ever food safety department
The former deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City’s health department has been named head of the city’s first food safety board.
Pham Khanh Phong Lan was appointed by the city’s chairman for a term that will end in December 2019. She will be served by two deputies, one seconded from the health department and the other from the agriculture department.
Formerly Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City has never enjoyed the services of an agency responsible for food hygiene and safety, despite repeated attempts by residents to force the municipality into carrying out regular inspections of markets and food traders.
A number of different agencies were previously responsible for the management of food safety in the city. But because the responsibilities for each department were never actually demarcated, the combined agencies have gained a reputation for poor food-safety control.
