Processed food with… joss paper additives!

Processed foods are being treated with gold powder (a chemical used for printing joss paper) to create appealing colors… Ho Chi Minh City Health Department raises alarms about food safety!

Unclear who is in charge?

Currently, there are about 2,000 types of chemicals being used as additives in food processing worldwide, but Vietnam only permits 258 substances as food additives.

As a result, many production facilities have “overstepped” by using additives not listed, such as formaldehyde and borax, which are harmful to consumer health.

Dr. Le Truong Giang, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Health Department, stated this at the “Sixth Ho Chi Minh City Quality Conference” held recently.

Even more concerning, according to representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Health Department, the trade of chemicals used as additives is not regulated by any agency. Many facilities have unilaterally used harmful chemicals, especially colorants, to create artificial appeal for their food products. There are even reports of food stalls treating ducks and chickens with water mixed with gold powder (used for printing joss paper) to enhance their color.

Additionally, the management by functional agencies has not been effective due to overlapping responsibilities and poor coordination among regulatory sectors. For example, the veterinary sector checks food origins and disease outbreaks, while the health sector controls preservation and usage. However, when food poisoning incidents occur, it is difficult to determine whether the responsibility lies with the restaurant, the veterinary sector, or the lack of control from the health sector.

Furthermore, due to unclear divisions of responsibility, no agency knows who is accountable, leading to lax management. For instance, in the seafood sector, the Fisheries Resource Protection Department is responsible for processing plants of Group B, the Department of Trade manages four wholesale markets, and the Health Department inspects the preservation and usage of seafood purchased for consumption, while retail seafood sold in the market is almost unregulated by any agency.

The shortcomings in management and the lack of strict coordination have resulted in a passive approach across all regulatory agencies, preventing them from establishing a coherent strategy for their sectors. Consequently, agencies tend to focus on reactive measures for specific moments, such as peak inspection campaigns, only to return to previous practices afterward.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Health Department, food safety quality is emerging as a pressing issue in the city. The greatest concern raised by this department is that if management issues are not addressed, it could lead to unpredictable consequences when the government shifts from pre-inspection to post-inspection as stipulated in the Business Law.

Dang Vy