Hundreds of bags of bamboo shoots found to be unsafe for consumption.

(Baonghean.vn) -On the morning of August 26th, the Environmental Crime Investigation Department of the Nghe An Provincial Police (PC49) inspected kiosks on the west side of Vinh Market and two bamboo shoot processing and trading establishments in Block 2, Doi Cung Ward. The inspection revealed that these establishments did not meet the necessary conditions for food processing and trading. Over 30 tons of bamboo shoots were found to be stored and processed under substandard conditions, and over 100 kg of borax were seized.

At Vinh Market, during an inspection of a kiosk owned by Ms. Ha Thi Duong (born in 1983), residing in Block 11, Cua Nam Ward, authorities discovered 110 kg of borax without labels or clear origin. The owner stated that the goods were purchased from a person named Hoa in Hanoi, whose address was unknown, via a Hanoi-Vinh passenger bus at a price of 6,000 VND/kg. This substance is on the list of prohibited substances for circulation and use in food processing and other fields. Authorities have issued a decision to seal and temporarily seize the goods, completing the necessary paperwork for their destruction in accordance with the law.

The amount of welding equipment seized by authorities.

During an inspection of the bamboo shoot purchasing, processing, and trading facility owned by the couple Le Duc Hung (born in 1972) and Nguyen Thi Hanh (born in 1974) in Block 2, Doi Cung Ward, authorities discovered numerous violations in the processing process. This large facility, operating for 10 years, imports approximately 3-4 tons of bamboo shoots daily from Que Phong District and supplies 2-3 quintals to distributors in Vinh City, but lacks a business registration license and a food safety certificate. Approximately 400 bags of bamboo shoots were found at the scene, totaling about 25 tons (10 tons of pickled bamboo shoots and 15 tons of unprocessed bamboo shoots).

Bamboo shoots were stored haphazardly right next to the moat.



Bamboo shoots were piled up next to the walkway, exposed to rain and sun.

These bamboo shoots are stacked along the path from the alley to the house and temporary shelters. A few are stored in shelters with only makeshift coverings, while the rest are left outdoors, turning dark and emitting a foul odor. This facility is located right next to the moat of Vinh city, where the water is polluted, causing a strong stench. Waste from the processing of this facility is discharged directly into the moat.

Authorities have sealed and temporarily seized the facility, requiring the owner to gather all the products and cover them carefully to prevent environmental pollution. The Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management has taken samples for testing.

Authorities also inspected another processing and trading facility owned by Ms. Phan Thi Hoa (born in 1954) in Block 2, Doi Cung Ward. Although this facility was more carefully covered under a corrugated iron roof and the amount of collected goods was only about 5-6 tons, it could not produce business registration documents or food safety and hygiene certificates. It is known that currently, in Vinh City, there are nearly 20 facilities that purchase, process, and trade bamboo shoots without business registration documents or food safety and hygiene certificates. Some facilities have hundreds of tons of goods, including goods imported from China.

Hoang Long