Food safety has been, is, and will continue to be a global concern, particularly in Vietnam, as it is closely related to human health. Numerous measures have been implemented to ensure and improve food safety. However, the key to success in guaranteeing food safety lies in people's awareness, actions, and behaviors regarding this issue. Food safety culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors within an organization or community that prioritize and promote the importance of food safety. The concept of a food safety culture has been popular in Europe and some North American countries for nearly two decades and has gradually spread to other developing countries where food safety remains a hot issue.

On October 21st, scientists from the Microbiology and Food Safety research group at the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture had a working session with Dr. Brigitta Elizabeth Ball, a leading expert in food safety culture from Canada. The meeting focused on sharing experiences and seeking solutions to build a strong food safety culture in Vietnam.

At the meeting, Dr. Ball presented successful research and practices in Canada in building a food safety culture. She also shared in-depth analyses of the factors affecting food safety culture in Vietnamese enterprises and provided suggestions for improvement.

The research group shared information that the group had achieved in this field related to the development of educational curricula. Currently, the group is in the process of finalizing the textbook on Quality management system and Food safety culture. In addition, the group also conducted surveys on many enterprises to have initial results on building and implementing food safety culture at these facilities.

The discussion focused on delving deeper into the gaps in food safety culture in Vietnam and identifying specific solutions to address them.

For Vietnam, food safety culture is a relatively new concept. The Safe Food for Growth Project, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are actively promoting food safety culture to all segments of society. Some universities, including the Vietnam National University of Agriculture, are pioneers in incorporating food safety culture into their training programs to create a workforce with knowledge and skills in food technology, quality management, as well as food safety culture to serve management agencies, political and social organizations, the production and business sector.

leftcenterrightdel
 

Research Group Microbiology and Food Safety