An inspection team uncovered on Thursday afternoon several food safety violations at Nguyen Ninh, a facility that produces banh com (sweet cakes) made of green sticky rice and green beans, including the presence of insects and animal feces in the production area.

The team launched an inspection into the facility, located at 11 Hang Than Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, as part of its efforts to ensure food safety during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet, which begins late this month.

At the time of the inspection, the owner of Nguyen Ninh and five workers were present.

The kitchen in the owner’s house was being used as the area for producing banh com, a local delicacy. The floor of the kitchen was peeling and moldy, with drains opened and clogged with waste.

Inspectors also found that clothing items were being air-dried within the production area.

Moreover, tools and equipment used for cake making were dirty, indicating a lack of regular cleaning.

A restroom was even located in the processing area.

As the facility was narrow, it had no storage area. As a result, bags of dried green sticky rice were placed on the entrance to the kitchen near a mossy wall.

The facility also failed to present health certificates and food safety training certificates for the owner and the five workers. The owner was unable to show proof of origin for its materials, food additives, and packaging.

The labels of its products were also inconsistent with the facility's product self-declaration and out of line with regulations on labeling.

The inspection team has required Nguyen Ninh to suspend its operations and take corrective action.

The team also tasked the Ba Dinh District food safety steering committee with continuing to work with the facility to handle its violations and reporting results to the inspection team prior to January 10.

The administration in Hanoi had earlier established four food safety inspection teams to monitor food safety in the capital city ahead of Tet.

The inspection teams are charged with checking food producing, processing, trading, and importing units, wholesale markets, supermarkets, trade centers, eateries, and food stands, focusing on products used widely during Tet, such as meat, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, confectionery, vegetables, fruits, and food additives.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!