Ministry of Health orders urgent investigation into 84 hospitalizations following suspected food poisoning in Lam Dong

On July 29, the Vietnam Food Administration (Ministry of Health) officially issued a directive to the Lam Dong Department of Health to conduct an investigation and handle a suspected food poisoning case at Minh Trung Banh Mi establishment (Hai Ba Trung village, Nam Ban commune, Lam Ha district).

According to the Lam Dong Sub-Department of Food Hygiene and Safety, the incident caused 84 individuals to be hospitalized with typical symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and diarrhea. The patients reportedly consumed bread from the establishment on July 25 and 26.

The Vietnam Food Administration has directed the Lam Dong Department of Health to mobilize all medical resources to provide active treatment for the patients and ensure their safety. Concurrently, authorities are instructed to notify the local community so that anyone who consumed products from this establishment can seek immediate medical assistance at the nearest health station if they experience unusual symptoms.

The investigation involves tracing the origin of ingredients and testing both clinical samples and food samples to determine the cause of the poisoning. Any violations of food safety regulations will be strictly handled according to the law, with results to be publicized to warn the public.

As of the afternoon of July 28, among the 84 hospitalized patients, 47 have been discharged following recovery, while 37 remain under close medical observation. The Minh Trung establishment has been ordered to suspend operations by the Nam Ban Commune People's Committee to facilitate the investigation.

The Vietnam Food Administration also emphasized the need for localities to intensify training on food safety for street food vendors while strictly enforcing the three-step food verification process and mandatory food sample storage to prevent similar incidents.