Cockroaches spotted at Ben Thanh Market food stall: Business suspended, food safety controls tightened

Following viral social media footage showing insects crawling onto food at a stall in Ben Thanh Market, the management board took immediate action to verify and address the issue. Mr. Ngo Van Ha, Director of the Ben Thanh Ward Public Service Supply Center, confirmed that stall number 1044 was temporarily suspended for five days, from September 27 to October 1.

Preliminary investigations identified the direct cause as inadequate food coverage at the stall. Furthermore, Mr. Ha explained that severe flooding caused by heavy rain and high tides on September 23 affected the interconnected sewage system, allowing insects to migrate into the food business area.

While annual pest control and sanitation measures are routinely performed, this incident highlighted gaps in hygiene controls within low-lying areas of the market. Management emphasized that this was an unfortunate situation, especially as traders were occupied with moving their property during the heavy flooding.

To protect its reputation and consumer health, the Ben Thanh Market management board has issued directives requiring all traders to strictly enforce food safety protocols. Mandatory standards include verified product origins, mandatory gloves for vendors, proper food covering, a ban on selling leftover food from previous days, and strict adherence to food sample retention requirements.

Ben Thanh Market houses approximately 80 food and beverage stalls out of thousands of total stalls. As a primary cultural and tourism landmark of Ho Chi Minh City, it welcomes a significant number of international visitors. Consequently, maintaining rigorous hygiene standards is not only a legal requirement but a critical factor for attracting tourists as traditional markets actively work to improve purchasing power.