The Food Safety Crisis: Illicit Profits and Challenges in Quality Control
An analysis of the current state of tainted food and counterfeit products, alongside management solutions to protect consumer health.
Consumers are currently facing serious risks from tainted food, counterfeit goods, and products with unknown origins. Recently, authorities in Ho Chi Minh City and various provinces have uncovered numerous large-scale violations. Driven by the pursuit of profit, many production facilities disregard consumer safety, illicitly profiting billions of dong.
In May 2026, the Economic Police Division of Ho Chi Minh City inspected bean sprout production facilities in Thong Tay Hoi Ward, discovering 860 vats of bean sprouts alongside hundreds of liters of 6-Benzylaminopurine—a chemical prohibited in food processing. Previously, a snail processing facility in Binh Dong Ward was found soaking over 3 tons of snail meat in sodium silicate (liquid glass) to give it a shiny, crisp, and chewy texture. Notably, since 2021, this facility had used approximately 500 tons of chemicals to process 3,000 tons of snail meat for the market.
Furthermore, a supply chain producing fake beef from pork treated with sodium metabisulphite was dismantled in Ho Chi Minh City. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh (Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology), these violations are primarily driven by greed and profit motives rather than a deliberate intent to harm consumers.
According to Tran Thi Dung, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (VINASTAS), this situation poses a major threat, as 60-65% of goods in traditional markets remain loosely controlled. When producers prioritize profit over safety and state management remains inconsistent, consumers are left to fend for themselves.
Ms. Dung emphasizes the necessity of strengthening training on consumer rights protection and promoting green, safe consumption. Meanwhile, the Ho Chi Minh City Police advise citizens to exercise caution and only use food with clear, verifiable origins. Consumers must absolutely avoid products that are expired or show signs of spoilage. Any suspicious signs regarding food safety should be reported immediately to local authorities for prompt investigation.
