As living standards rise and food demands diversify, the requirement to control food safety becomes increasingly urgent. In Điện Biên, this work is being deployed synchronously and decisively with specific solutions aimed at the ultimate goal of protecting public health.

The 2026 Action Month for Food Safety, taking place from April 15 to May 15 across the entire province, carries the theme of ensuring food safety and preventing food poisoning in catering services and street food. This peak period allows various levels and sectors to increase dissemination and raise awareness among officials and citizens about the risks of unsafe food while intensifying inspections and monitoring of collective kitchens and street vendors. Publicizing information on violating establishments and safe food supply chains helps create transparency and positive social pressure, forcing businesses to comply strictly with regulations.

Reflecting on 2025, food safety assurance in the province continued to receive close guidance from party committees and local authorities. Following the merger into a two-tier local government model, the provincial people’s committee promptly consolidated the inter-sectoral steering committee on food safety and issued operational regulations aligned with the tasks. This important step created a solid legal corridor and enhanced administrative efficiency. Related departments also proactively issued guidance and decentralized management responsibilities to avoid overlaps or omissions.

Inspection and monitoring activities were strengthened and yielded significant results. Throughout the year, the province conducted inspections and post-inspections of 6,213 food production, processing, and business facilities. Consequently, authorities imposed administrative penalties on 165 violating establishments, suspended one facility, and destroyed various types of unsafe food. These figures reflect a determination to tighten discipline in the field of food safety while warning that violations still occur, requiring even more decisive action.

Testing and laboratory analysis were also emphasized, with inspection teams performing 9,700 rapid tests, resulting in a 99.7% pass rate. While this high rate reflects the efforts of businesses to improve quality, the failed samples serve as a warning against complacency. Notably, in 2025, the province recorded three food poisoning cases involving 21 people, including two deaths. The primary cause was natural toxins, which demonstrates that even natural food sources can be dangerous if there is a lack of understanding.

These realities necessitate a continued innovation of food safety management methods in the coming time. First, there must be a shift from pre-inspection to post-inspection combined with risk-based checks to focus resources on high-risk violation areas. The application of technology in traceability and supply chain management should be promoted to enhance information transparency and consumer trust.

Simultaneously, there is a need to strictly control high-risk sectors such as street food and collective kitchens at boarding schools, hospitals, and medical facilities. Since these locations serve large numbers of people, any incidents would cause serious consequences. Therefore, food selection must be prioritized with fresh ingredients that have clear origins and meet hygiene standards.

Another key factor is strengthening the leadership of Party committees and the management effectiveness of the local government. Leaders must be fully responsible for any serious food safety violations in their area. Furthermore, it should be clearly regulated that heads of the local government are not permitted to interfere in the supply of food to collective kitchens, particularly in schools and hospitals, to eliminate the risk of group interests and ensure objectivity.

Ensuring food safety is a long-term task that requires the involvement of the entire political system and society. Every business must enhance its sense of responsibility, and every citizen must become a wise consumer who knows how to choose and say no to unsafe food. When everyone works together, the goal of building a safe and healthy food environment for public health will become a sustainable reality.