Executing directive documents from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Public Security, and the provincial People’s Committee, the health sector directed specialized units to coordinate with localities in rolling out synchronized inspection, surveillance, and food testing measures.

Currently, the province has 2,220 food production, business, and catering establishments managed by the health sector. In the first 7 months of 2026, 106 inspection teams were established, inspecting 1,899 establishments. As a result, 1,891 facilities met food safety standards (accounting for 99.6%), while 8 establishments failed to comply (0.4%). Violating establishments were fined a total of over VND 11.7 million, and 5 types of food products from 2 facilities were destroyed. Identified violations mainly involved trading expired goods, selling items with unclear origins, and failing to fully comply with safety condition regulations in food production, processing, and trading.

Alongside formal inspections, food safety monitoring has been intensified. During the first 7 months of the year, all administrative tiers monitored 1,233 food establishments under health sector management, with 1,229 meeting requirements (99.6%) and 4 failing to meet standards. Notably, rapid screening tests were performed directly during inspections and field monitoring. Inspection teams conducted 659 rapid food safety tests, with 100% yielding compliant results. The Provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-Department also collected 4 food samples from school collective kitchens for laboratory testing during suspected food poisoning incidents, all of which met safety standards.

According to Hoàng Xuân Chiến, Head of the provincial Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-Department, food safety assurance faces new demands. Beyond regulating production and trading establishments, authorities must intensify surveillance of goods circulating in the market and proactively sample and test high-risk food groups. Testing results serve as an essential scientific foundation for functional agencies to promptly issue warnings, recall, and penalize substandard goods, preventing public health risks.

In line with the health sector’s orientation, localities and units in the coming period must formulate targeted surveillance plans, concentrating on alerted product categories, especially milk and nutritional formulations for young children. Upon detecting substandard goods, authorities must act swiftly to handle violations, execute recalls, and disseminate information widely so the public can proactively avoid them. Testing operations must also be paired with routine inspections and post-licensing checks, elevating effectiveness in preventing and addressing food safety risks.

In Điện Biên, most food production and trading establishments operate on a small, household scale scattered across expansive terrain; grassroots food safety personnel remain sparse and work largely in concurrent roles, while operating budgets remain modest. Concurrently, risks stemming from expired goods, products of unknown origin, and counterfeit or substandard foods persist, demanding continuous and focused inspections and surveillance.

Addressing this practical reality, enhancing laboratory testing capacity, intensifying targeted sampling, and monitoring circulating goods serve as critical solutions to transition from passive control to proactive prevention. Leveraging testing outcomes provides regulatory authorities with robust scientific evidence to issue early warnings, handle violations, and prevent substandard goods from reaching consumers.

Strengthening inspections from the provincial level to the grassroots, intensifying post-audits, and reinforcing personnel and professional expertise will help build a more proactive, stringent food safety management system. Through these measures, the province can steadily mitigate risks associated with counterfeit and substandard food, safeguard public health, and enhance the efficacy of state food safety governance across the locality.