The Food Safety Department recommends that people do not use the Hai Be Delicious Baby Syrup product, which has just been determined by the investigation agency to be counterfeit - Photo: Screenshot
Licensed and then only recommend "do not use" when there is a violation?
On the evening of June 17, the Food Safety Department's website posted a warning that people should not use the health protection food Hai Be Delicious Syrup of Hai Be Company Limited while the authorities are verifying the incident.
In the case of TikTok "Hai Sen Family", according to the Investigation Police Agency of Ninh Binh Province Police, the appraisal results for the quality indicators of "Hai Be Delicious Syrup" determined that the substances including vitamin A, calcium, vitamin C (the main substances that create the product's effects) only reached less than 70% compared to the announcement, according to regulations, the health protection food "Hai Be Delicious Syrup" is fake...
The agency has also initiated criminal proceedings and prosecuted defendants related to the incident.
After the investigation agency initiated the case, the Food Safety Department posted information "recommending consumers not to use the product while waiting for the authorities to verify the incident". It is worth mentioning that this product had been licensed for circulation.
Even in the advisory notice, the Food Safety Department confirmed that it had received the product declaration dossier, meaning that in principle, the product was qualified to be put on the market.
The warning from the responsible agency "approving" to the "warning" agency without any solutions regarding recall, inspection of production facilities... makes many people wonder. And once again, public opinion raises questions about the responsibility in management and post-inspection of this unit.
Delay in issuing documents creates big loopholes
According to current regulations, functional food products and health protection foods only need to submit a declaration with documents proving quality, origin, ingredients, testing... to be eligible for circulation on the market.
Licensing is almost purely an administrative procedure, based on documents provided by the business itself, rather than through actual inspection.
Therefore, many products, after being "legalized" with a publication code, are immediately released into the market by individuals and businesses with winged advertisements. They even attribute their uses to cure and prevent diseases in violation of regulations.
After the fake milk scandal, a series of fake functional foods and now "appetite syrup" - a product for children - the most vulnerable group - has been counterfeited. And when the product is discovered to be in violation, the role of the licensing agency is limited to the recommendation "do not use".
The practice of "licensing first, warning later" makes consumers frustrated and lose confidence.
Sharing at a recent anti-counterfeiting meeting organized by the Ministry of Health, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Investigation Police on Corruption, Economic Crimes, and Smuggling (C03), Ministry of Public Security, stated that recently, subjects have also taken advantage of limitations in post-inspection work to commit violations.
"In addition, some existing problems, difficulties and inadequacies in current legal documents related to the pharmaceutical and food safety fields, and the delay in issuing regulations and instructions for law enforcement have also created loopholes for subjects to take advantage of," Mr. Tung emphasized.
Recently, the police agency also prosecuted 5 defendants who were former leaders and officials of the Food Safety Department, who committed a number of violations when granting certificates for functional food factories according to GMP standards and issuing product declaration documents.
The Minister of Health said that this unit will review to complete the legal basis, and is resolutely implementing the construction and completion of institutions such as guidelines for implementing the Law on Pharmacy, amending Decree 15 on food safety and will submit to the Government for early promulgation to resolve difficulties arising in practice in the field of food safety.
After the crackdown on counterfeit goods in the last peak month, people expect there will be "turning points" so that counterfeit goods will no longer have a "place to live", and people will no longer have to be confused between real and fake as they are now.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/vu-tiktok-hai-sen-ban-hang-gia-cuc-an-toan-thuc-pham-cap-phep-san-pham-roi-khuyen-khong-dung-20250618122041388.htm
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