Individual

Assignment
TOPIC: FOOD SAFETY RISK
MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAM

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1. Introduction
Chosen journal article:

World Bank Vietnam (2017). “Vietnam Food Safety Risk Management: challenges and
opportunities.” World Bank Group, [online] Available at:
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/415551490718806138/technical-working-paper
[Accessed Apr.20 2018]

1.1 Context:

Among the urgent issues in Vietnam, food safety appears to be one of the most crucial problems.
Since the country is in its developing and urbanizing process, the citizens have to suffer from a
significant number of diseases, in which foodborne and other related-to-digestion diseases are going
to be concerned specifically in this topic.
The chosen article for this assignment is a product from World Bank Vietnam and its partners,
including many experts from several ministries and agencies. It was carried out under the request of
Vietnamese government, specifically Mr. Vu Duc Dam, deputy prime minister.
1.2 Aims of the research:

The main objectives of this research about the risk management of food safety are to:
1. Describe the current situation and control system of food safety in Vietnam.
2. Analyze some risks regarding several main food value chains.
3. Recommend to enhance the quality of food safety.
1.3 Research methods:

1. The round-table discussion about food safety with experts, scientists as well as businesspeople
in the food industry.
2. Reviews of databases, reports, publications and policies regarding the situation of food safety
system in Vietnam.
3. Visits to government agencies, institutions and stakeholders to discuss staple issues about the
topic.
4. Consultation workshop to present the research and gather feedbacks from partners.
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1.4 The scope of the research:

Two main value chains: pork and leafy vegetables.

1.5 Limitations of the research:

The research has provided some recommendations but the reality appears that even the
developed countries are failed to perform an effective managerial system of food safety. As a
result, these recommendations, which would be stated in the next part, are merely strategic
direction, not necessarily for steady performance.

2. Executive summary:
2.1 Structure:

The report was structured into nine major sections:

1. Introduction: the provision of context, targets, methodology and the scope of the research.

2. Institutional establishment and managerial capacity of food safety: key info on the set-up
of the management system and ability to address the problems.
3. Major pork and leafy vegetable value chains of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: presentations
of these foods’ value chain in 2 main cities of Vietnam.
4. Potential hazards, risks and health impact of unsafe foods: analysis of key impacts, hazards
and risks to deal with.
5. Risk communication and management of food safety – challenges, trust and priorities.
6. Impacts of food safety on trade: analysis of food trading trends and key problems of food
safety regarding food imports, exports and the industry in general.
7. Recommendations: possible solutions to enhance capacity and improvement for food
safety for both short and long terms.
8. References: citation in the report.
9. Annexes: additional provision generally and detailed about several sections in the report.

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2.2 Major findings:

- As being a country with the major export product is food, the reputation of Vietnam to its
partners is sensitive to trading statistics about contamination levels of foods. Also,
foodborne disease is a concerned issue for both consumers and policy-makers because of
this level, which is more and more significant in domestic consumption.
- Bacterial contamination could be considered the most primary source of foodborne
illness, rather than chemicals. However, this situation could be avoided if there is a higher
level of food hygiene in the value chain.
- The misusing of agricultural chemicals, for example, herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers
is an important point in the assurance of food safety, as well as a huge challenge in
improving the business practices of conventional producers.
- Vietnam is the leader in the area in establishing a modern legal framework for food safety
but it could be more effective and efficient for that framework to be focused on risk
factors and actual outcomes.
- The deliverer of safe food to market is the business sector, not the government, which
means that there should be a co-operative strategy for agreement, manufacturing
process concentration regarding prevention for incidents, as well as self-assessment by
this industry.
- Requirements of enforcement are necessary, which appear in a genuine collaboration
among ministries, a team of professional inspectors to carry out effective researches and
tests, a system of laboratories to examine timely and assuredly in terms of quality.
2.3 Policy recommendations:

2.3.1 Risk evaluation:

 Establish a more comprehensive system to control food safety regarding risk-based method.
 Improve data management to meet the demand for evidence on hazards, effects and costs of
foodborne disease.
 Develop a database of businesses in the food industry in terms of their risk level to ensure
effective control and intervention.

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2.3.2 Risk management:
 Establish a management system among ministries to present transparent results and make
decisions based on evidence.
 Develop an approach of “farm to fork” concept, which would control from the inputs to retails
process.
 Set-up a feedback system to collect consumers’ ideas in order to enhance the system in the
future.
2.3.3 Risk communication:
 Devise a communication strategy to gain consumers’ loyalty, trust and retention.
 Collaborate among government agencies and ministries to ensure a coherent, transparent and
consistent message would be presented to the consumers, as well as businesspeople.

3. Conclusion:
To put it in a nutshell, it could be said that Vietnam has a considerably rational framework for
managing food safety, there are still many challenges to overcome, with respect to all the
stakeholders – government, business sectors and consumers. For the government, these
recommendations above would be useful to consider with a view to improving the capacity of the
system. Regarding the consumers’ sphere, self-awareness about the important impact of food
safety is especially necessary since they would be the one who directly consume foods. Last but
not least, with respect to the producer, the compliance of laws requirements should be ensured
with a view to providing safe products to every dinner table, along with maintaining the firms’
reputation.