Traditional fish sauce market 'warms up' again

(Baonghean.vn) - Recently, the Ministry of Health announced the results of fish sauce testing in 5 provinces and cities, 100% of the samples were safe, which has "untied" the traditional fish sauce production industry. Consumers have returned to using their familiar dishes with peace of mind, making the market for this product gradually "warm up" again after a period of stagnation due to the influence of false information.

Official information from the Ministry of Health that 100% of tested fish sauce samples are safe has been enthusiastically received by people because traditional fish sauce has been associated with the meals of many families.

Ms. Phan Thi Ly (Ha Huy Tap Ward) said: “My family often orders Cua Hoi fish sauce for use, because the fish sauce is produced in the craft village so the quality is guaranteed, fragrant and delicious. Therefore, when there was information that the fish sauce contained toxic substances, affecting our health, we were very worried and confused. Now that the fish sauce has been tested for safety, I am reassured and continue to trust and use traditional fish sauce.”

Customers are confident in using traditional fish sauce, causing the purchasing power of this item at grocery stores to increase again.

People gradually regain their trust in traditional fish sauce, leading to positive changes in the market for this product.

Unlike the lack of customers more than 10 days ago when there was information about fish sauce containing arsenic, at this time, most of the dry goods stalls in the markets have seen a significant increase in purchasing power for fish sauce.

A small trader at Quang Trung market said: “In the past 10 days, there was information that fish sauce was contaminated with arsenic, so customers asking to buy fish sauce were absent; we lost a large amount of money. Luckily, in the past two days, customers have increased again, many traditional fish sauces such as Cua Hoi, Nha Trang… although the price is more than double that of industrial fish sauce, people still buy a lot.”

At supermarkets, the purchasing power of fish sauce also increased after the Ministry of Health announced that all tested fish sauce samples were safe.

On the shelves of BigC supermarket, there are many types of traditional fish sauce for sale.

Similarly, the fish sauce counter at BigC supermarket is also more bustling. There are no changes on the fish sauce shelves here, many traditional fish sauces are still sold. Many customers choose to buy traditional fish sauces even though the price is often twice or even three times more expensive than industrial fish sauce.

Ms. Ha (Quan Bau Ward, Vinh City) said: “My family often uses Cua Hoi or Phu Quoc fish sauce because of its high protein content and delicious quality. But a few days ago, I heard that fish sauce contained arsenic, so I was a bit worried. Knowing that the test results of traditional fish sauce are still safe, I feel secure buying a whole barrel to eat gradually. Although the price of traditional fish sauce is higher, the important thing is that it is good for health.”

A salesperson at BigC supermarket said: "When the news of fish sauce being contaminated with arsenic came out, the number of customers decreased by about 5-10% compared to before. But in the past few days, the number of customers has increased again. Traditional fish sauces are being bought a lot: Nhuan Phat, Nha Trang...".

Although, the information recently released by the Ministry of Health has "vindicated" traditional fish sauce. Consumers have felt secure in using it again. But clearly the loss caused by false information (fish sauce contaminated with arsenic) for businesses, especially fish sauce producing villages, is very heavy, and the consequences will last for a long time...

Dinh Nguyet - Phuong Thuy