Agencies that inspect the food safety and quality will handle violations during inspection

Agencies that inspect the food safety and quality in Vietnam will handle violations during inspection (Internet image)

Article 13 of Circular 45/2012/TT-BCT stipulates that the agencies that inspect the food safety and quality have the following responsibility and authority:

- Formulating and submitting annual plans for inspection of food safety and quality to competent agencies for approval.

- Making decisions on the establishment of Inspectorates in order to carry out the inspections according to the periodic or irregular plans.

- Making handling decision within 03 working days from the reception of the report from the Inspectorate on the suspension of the production and trading of food, the sealing of food, the suspension of the advertisements for unsafe foods.

- Handling the violations during the inspection of food safety and quality as prescribed in Article 30 of the Law on Product and goods quality and other relevant laws.

- Notifying the inspection results and relevant conclusions to the factories.

- Settling complaints about the decisions made by the Inspectorates, and the acts committed by the Inspectorate’s members in accordance with the laws on complaints and denunciations.

In addition, Article 14 of Circular 45/2012/TT-BCT stipulates that during the inspection of food safety and quality, the Inspectorates have the following responsibility and authority:

- Carrying out the inspection of food safety and quality at the food factories in accordance with the Decisions on the establishment of the Inspectorate approved by competent authorities.

- Complying with law and the inspection principles prescribed in Article 4 of this Circular.

- Summarizing and reporting the results of the inspections of food safety and quality to the provincial People’s Committees, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and competent agencies in charge of food safety and quality.

- Requesting the inspected factories to present the relevant documents where necessary.

- Requesting the food factories that do not assure the food safety and quality to take remedial measures.

- Take samples for testing where necessary.

More details can be found in Circular 45/2012/TT-BCT, which comes into force from February 15, 2013.

Le Vy

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