The city People's Committee has issued the 2026 action plan for its inter-agency food safety steering committee, with inspection campaigns planned around Lunar New Year, Food Safety Action Month, the Mid-Autumn Festival and other peak periods.
Inspections will focus on collective kitchens, traditional markets, slaughterhouses and food processing and storage facilities, with surprise checks following risk alerts or public complaints.
The city will also scrutinise online advertising of health supplements and crack down on counterfeit and untraceable food sold through e-commerce and other digital channels.
HCM City will monitor food safety risks that could affect consumers, while working to prevent, investigate and address food safety incidents.
Existing programmes will continue, including safe food supply chains and systems to identify and trace pork, poultry and eggs, as well as a pilot model for food-safe markets.
Other initiatives include developing concentrated safe vegetable-growing areas with traceability systems, establishing an HCM City centre for trading flavourings and chemicals, and piloting a pork trading platform.
The city's Food Safety Department will oversee implementation of the plan and report on progress, while the Health Department will promote food safety regulations and require healthcare facilities providing meals to conduct their own safety checks.
