Ho Chi Minh City officials warn of meat traceability gaps as food‑safety law revision proposed

At a May 29 forum on revising the Food Safety Law, Phạm Khánh Phong Lan, director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Food Safety Department and Member of Parliament, highlighted the difficulty of tracing pork and chicken that are mixed in traditional markets. While modern supermarkets can track packaged meat via labels, informal stalls often blend meat, leaving the origin unidentifiable.

The proposed amendment focuses on four policy areas: strengthening the state management apparatus, applying safety oversight along the entire value chain, preventing misuse of additives, and offering incentives for supply‑chain development. Lan noted that the current system is fragmented, with heavy paperwork at the pre‑inspection stage and insufficient market‑level checks, especially for small‑scale producers and illegal slaughter operations like the recent pig slaughterhouse uncovered in Thới An ward.

Trần Phú Cường, head of the City’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, echoed these concerns, pointing out gaps in record‑keeping at small farms, manual slaughter sites, and transport. Data across breeding, slaughter, and distribution remain unconnected, impeding rapid response to incidents. Both officials advocated a shift to risk‑based management and modern post‑market verification, rather than extensive pre‑checks that can choke trade.

The discussion also stressed the need to change consumer habits, as many shoppers prioritize low‑price, unverified goods despite a desire for safety. A national‑level data system for food safety is proposed to improve inter‑agency coordination and reduce duplication.