Poisonous Chinese dishes: The poison gradually seeps in, causing illness.

Plates, bowls, and cups are essential household items, but in Vietnam, there are many Chinese-made products. Recently, many types of cups, plates, and bowls originating from China have been found to contain toxic substances, causing considerable concern among consumers.

In early April 2013, news of Ms. Nguyen Thi Tho (Hamlet 4, Phu Do, Me Tri, Tu Liem, Hanoi) discovering two small, strange packages stuck between the layers of a broken plate caused a stir in public opinion. The plate was a porcelain plate printed with a rose design, and the back of the plate bore the inscription "Made in China".

Upon closer inspection, this plate exhibits unusual characteristics compared to typical porcelain plates. Only a thin layer on the top surface and the bottom of the plate are made of porcelain, while the rim underneath is coated with a more opaque white layer. Particularly suspicious is the layer beneath the broken part of the plate, which is made of a yellowish, opaque plastic compound.

Chinese porcelain plate contains foreign substance.

Two "strange" packages were discovered when the disc broke. They were rectangular, approximately 1.5 x 2.5 cm in size, white, wrapped in tin, with a section sealed with yellow tape. The black lettering printed on the surface had faded.

Chinese plastic plates and bowls are extremely toxic.

Not only ceramic plates but also plastic dishes originating from China are very toxic.

In 2013, a study by scientists from Taiwan, China, revealed that melamine was found in tableware and could contaminate the body through food. Specifically, when consuming hot food, melamine present in the dishes could enter the body and harm health.

This is an organic chemical widely used in the production of plastics, children's toys, and household items. Scientists have discovered that people who regularly eat breakfast on melamine-based tableware have eight times higher levels of melamine contamination compared to those who use porcelain tableware.

Colorful Chinese tableware can easily cause cancer.

Currently, the Vietnamese market is flooded with many counterfeit Chinese ceramic tableware products of unknown origin. Their common characteristics include eye-catching designs, with many sets featuring intricate patterns and motifs that are very appealing, and prices that are sometimes only one-third of those of branded, reputable products.

Be careful with brightly colored dishes (Illustrative image)

Therefore, it is advisable to choose products with a clear origin, and for porcelain products, opt for those with a white glaze; avoid Chinese products with eye-catching colors and elaborate patterns.

In October 2013, the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) announced the results of testing paper plates and cups in Hanoi. The results showed that 4 out of 6 samples were found to be contaminated with lead (1/2 samples were from China, 3/4 samples were domestically produced, with levels ranging from 0.36-0.45 µg/l) and 3 out of 6 samples were contaminated with arsenic. However, the levels of leaching were within the permissible limits for heavy metals in packaging that comes into direct contact with food.

Paper cups from China are very toxic.

Paper cups are displayed in abundance at Dong Xuan Market (Hanoi) in various colors, but they all share the same characteristic: they are unregistered, unbranded goods. Sellers always claim they are domestically produced, but upon examining the bottom of some cups, the words "made in China" are faintly printed.

According to experts, even when using high-quality paper cups, consumers can still easily be exposed to toxins.

The health risks are not limited to manufacturing facilities but also extend to consumers. Disposable cups and plates often look new after a single use, leading many to reuse them, increasing the risk of contamination from the chemicals in the paper cups and plates. Reusability causes the paper pulp, glues, plastics, and chemicals to leach into food and drinks. Paper cups left for extended periods become damp and moldy, breeding grounds for germs and bacteria. Many consumers also carelessly reuse paper cups intended for cold drinks to hold hot water, coffee, or hot soup.

Chinese glass cups are thousands of times more toxic than permitted.

In 2011, news that glass cups originating from China were contaminated with lead, posing a danger to children, caused widespread panic and fear among mothers. According to the Product Quality Management Department of the General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality, glass cups printed with cartoon images and characters from China contained lead levels thousands of times higher than the permitted limit, and also contained other toxic substances that could reduce children's intelligence.

Chinese glass cups in Vietnam are thousands of times more toxic than permitted levels.

Many of the cups contained lead levels exceeding the permissible limit by several thousand times. Specifically, the Flower Beautiful glass cup exceeded the limit by 2,083 times, the Romantic Blue Rose cup by 2,187 times; the Beautiful the World Flower cup by 2,191 times...

However, despite warnings from authorities, large wholesale markets and small to large souvenir shops throughout the city still sell glass and ceramic cups printed in bright colors with cute cartoon characters.

According to Vietnam.net