Who checks the quality of pork sold on the sidewalks in Vinh city?

Pork stalls on the sidewalk are springing up more and more in Vinh City. Vendors often choose crowded places such as intersections, major roads to display their products. They can be easily found on streets such as Nguyen Van Troi, Nguyen Du, Nguyen Sy Sach, Phong Dinh Cang, etc.

Spontaneous pork stall at the intersection of Ham Nghi and Phan Cong Tich streets (Hung Dung ward, Vinh city). Photo: Quang An

However, according to the reporter's observation, most of the sidewalk pork stalls do not have veterinary inspection stamps. Many meat stalls are simply wooden boards or tarpaulins, which look very damp, and the shop owners often wave plastic sticks to chase away flies.

The pork market is currently quiet, but sidewalk pork stalls still have a certain number of customers. Mr. Nguyen Van Trung in Truong Thi Ward said: "I buy pork on the sidewalk because I don't want to bother going to the market. Besides, the seller guarantees that the pork is clean, so I feel somewhat secure."

Sidewalk pork attracts passersby because of its convenience and low price. Photo: Quang An

Consumer trust is one of the reasons why street pork trading has a "living place". Besides, one of the attractions of street pork is that it is cheaper than in the market.

According to a survey, the current price of pork on the sidewalk is only 75,000 - 80,000 VND/kg, 5,000 - 10,000 VND/kg cheaper than in the markets. The psychology of some housewives, students, and low-income workers who like cheap meat and do not care about quality has led to the proliferation of meat stalls on the sidewalk.

Displaying pork on the sidewalk, the seller holds a stick tied with a plastic bag and waves it to chase away flies. Photo: Quang An

"Home-raised pig, country pig" is the catchphrase of street pork vendors when customers ask about the origin. With the same answer, Ms. Le Thi H, owner of a pork vendor on Nguyen Van Troi Street (Ben Thuy Ward) said: "The pigs here are raised by my family, because the price of live pigs has decreased, we slaughter and sell them." However, this vague statement cannot prove the origin of the food.

It is worrying that the authorities have not yet taken drastic action to inspect and handle these sidewalk meat vendors.

While African swine fever is becoming more complicated, it is extremely necessary to check the quality of pork at stalls on the sidewalks and in alleys.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of Vinh City Veterinary Station said: As soon as the province issued instructions on swine fever prevention, the city established interdisciplinary teams to strengthen control of pig farming, slaughtering, and trading activities. For households selling pork on the sidewalk, we will coordinate inspections and if we detect pigs of unknown origin or violations of food safety and hygiene, we will resolutely handle them.