WHO, VFA, and Grab celebrate first World Food Safety Day in Vietnam

WHO, VFA and Grab collaborate to celebrate the first-ever World Food Safety Day in Vietnam

On June 7, the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) and Grab (via its GrabFood platform) launched a series of activities to commemorate the first-ever World Food Safety Day in Vietnam. The event was supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and attracted 1,000 participants who attended to learn more about food safety practices.

The World Food Safety Day celebration combines two main activities, namely interactive booths and parade and roadshows.

Notably, at the interactive booths, the “Five keys to safer food” by WHO are creatively and vividly conveyed through five simulation booths, illustrated through the process of making Vietnamese spring rolls in a hygienic manner. Each booth represented one of the five keys of food safety. These offer a practical yet fun experience through five booths representing the five steps of food safety assurance, which offer valuable and practical experience and provide participants with better knowledge of food standards.

The five keys to safer food

The interactive booths

Additionlly, Grab’s delivery-partners held parades across major streets in Hanoi to spread the message of food safety, in an effort to raise awareness about food safety among restaurant partners and consumers.

The parade and roadshow

Speaking at the ceremony, Alexander Dwek, interim head of GrabFood in Vietnam said, “The above activities mark the first step in our collective journey of eradicating food safety and hygiene problems in Vietnam. Grab understands that the lack of motivation and knowledge about food safety is one of the key reasons leading to less-ideal food hygiene standards of food merchants.”

“As the most often used on-demand food delivery service in Vietnam with a technology platform that can easily connect with thousands of merchants including small and medium eateries, the company can easily educate merchants of all types about food safety and hygiene. Grab wants to lead a movement to inspire a positive change in the way they produce and process food. To show them how easy it is to make a difference, the company organises these events to give them a better look at the process of making food and ensuring its safety and hygiene,” he said.

Alexander Dwek, interim head of GrabFood in Vietnam visits the "Five keys to safer food” interactive booths

Based on a memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties, the VFA and Grab (via GrabFood) aim to raise awareness of food hygiene and safety among restaurant partners, food transport partners, and consumers in Vietnam through several educational programs about safety in food production and consumption over a three-year period.

As the food delivery platform with the largest network of merchant-partners in Vietnam, Grab (via GrabFood) is able to leverage its connections across the country to advocate food safety. The majority of food businesses in Vietnam are small and medium enterprises, which makes it difficult for national agencies to reach out to and educate each owner about food safety. Through its technology platform, Grab (via GrabFood) is connected to thousands of food merchants, enabling an easy way to communicate with them, furthering the government’s efforts to solve food safety and hygiene problems.

“Grab is not only committed to providing consumers with better services, but also contribute to the sustainable development of society. As an industry pioneer with our co-operation with the VFA, Grab, via GrabFood, desires to build a conscious and knowledgeable community dedicated to improving the quality of Vietnamese meals for a happy and healthy society," said Jerry Lim, country head of Grab Vietnam.

Following the celebration of World Food Safety Day, food safety training courses will be deployed in four major cities: Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City. The programme will provide businesses with accurate and reliable information on the topic of "Food Safety in the High-Tech Business Environment". VFA and Grab (via GrabFood) will deliver essential learning materials about the WHO’s “Five keys to safer food” to restaurant and food stall owners, a key target audience of the food safety campaign, through practical and impactful content.

After just one year in Vietnam, GrabFood has achieved impressive growth. GrabFood’s daily completed orders have grown 250 times (between mid-May 2019 and at the end of June 2019), making it the fastest-growing food delivery service in the market. GrabFood not only provides consumers with reliable and food delivery service, but also develops a series of initiatives to raise public awareness about many social issues in Vietnam.

In addition to food safety and hygiene, GrabFood has brought about several activities to support disadvantaged people, typically the programme of Chung Tay Nuoi Em. This development strategy reaffirms position and vision, as well as the commitment of Grab in Vietnam as one of the most influential super apps in Southeast Asia.