The highest fine for food safety and hygiene violations will beincreased threefold, according to a new decree issued by the Government.

According to the decree, the highest fine will be 100 millionVND (4,700 USD) instead of 30 million VND (1,400 USD) as regulated inDecree 45 issued in 2005.

Depending on the level of breaches,violators can have their food safety and hygiene certificationswithdrawn and processing equipment confiscated.

The decree alsoregulates that people using meat or meat products which are notquarantined to make other products will be fined 3-5 million VND(140-240 USD).

People using unsafe materials or materials withunclear origins to process food will be fined 10-15 million VND (470-710USD).

The fine of 20-40 million VND (950-1,900 USD) will be imposed on people using toxic additives to process food.

A higher fine of 30-50 million VND (1,400-2,380 USD), will be imposedon people using banned materials.
They can also have their food safetyand hygiene certificates withdrawn if they repeat their violation.

According to uncompleted statistics of the Vietnam FoodAdministration, nearly 80,000 food enterprises across the country,making up nearly 30 percent of the total, were discovered to haveviolated food safety and hygiene regulations this year.

The decree will be put into effect on December 25.-VNA.