Fruit stamps of untraceable origin

At wholesale markets, Chinese fruits account for more than 50%, and when they reach retailers, they are labeled as imported from Europe, Australia, America, etc. And when using origin tracing software, these labels do not give results.

Chinese fruits "disguised" as American and Australian?

There are many Chinese-language boxes, but the goods on display all have import stamps from Europe, America, Australia...

According to information from the General Department of Customs, Chinese fruits account for more than 50% of fruits imported into Vietnam in recent times. However, surveys at Thu Duc wholesale markets, traditional markets in District 1, Tan Binh District, Go Vap District, District 8... show that Chinese fruits are almost absent. Most apples, pears, grapes, oranges... are introduced by retailers as imported from the US in full boxes.

At Thu Duc wholesale market, every night hundreds of container trucks carrying Chinese fruits arrive to unload their goods. Immediately after, the traders here quickly take the goods from the boxes with dense Chinese writing and repackage them under many different brands.

At a stall that had just finished packing, when we asked to buy apples in bulk, the owner named Thuy quickly offered: "Imported American apples here, always fresh and delicious, I just imported them so I guarantee it for you, these apples are easy to sell. If you buy them in bulk, I will give you 1 million for a 20kg box, after you choose the goods, I will have someone bring them to the car for you." On Mrs. Thuy's apple stall, we noticed that the apples here were all labeled American apples.

At more than 10 apple and pear stalls at Thu Duc wholesale market, we did not see any sign of Chinese fruits. Almost all the fruits here are introduced as imported from the US. However, for the same type of apple, each vendor has a different type of label. Each type of label only has a general code number and the origin cannot be traced.

When we expressed our desire to buy cheap Chinese apples and pears, a merchant named Binh said: "Here we only sell imported goods from the US, Australia, and Japan. No one sells Chinese goods. Nowadays, very few people buy Chinese goods."

The same type of apple has many different types of stamps.

Mr. D. (a hired porter at Thu Duc wholesale market) shared: "I've been working here for more than 10 years. Here, we only get goods from China to sell, there are very few American goods. They get Chinese goods and repackage them, there are not many American goods to sell. You just buy a few times and people will know you and show you where to buy them cheaper. You can buy as many stamps as you want. I think the stamps are just for show, not for any other purpose."

Origin stamp for show?

To check the labels on the above fruits, we used icheck and Search PLU fruit checking software but both did not give any results. Thus, it can be affirmed that the labels on the fruits are just "labels" to reassure buyers, but only the seller knows the exact quality.

Continuing our survey at a traditional market in District 8, a fruit vendor claimed that she only sold imported goods. However, observing her cart, we saw the same type of apples but with uneven shapes and different colors but with the same label.

When questioned about the above issue, Ms. Vinh said: "Because I bought many types but was too busy so I mixed them up. I sell imported apples from the US, I don't sell Chinese goods. Because I make little profit, I only sell them for 40,000 VND/kg, other places sell them for more than 100,000 VND. As you can see, I sell them with the original label."

Consumers are hesitant when choosing imported apples.

To check Ms. Vinh's apples and pears, we brought the two fruits to a reputable fruit stall owner at Tan Dinh market. She said: "In recent years, every apple stall has had labels of origin from the US and New Zealand for easy selling. However, in reality, there are very few apples imported from the US, mostly Chinese apples. As for pears, they are also mainly Chinese goods."

Ms. Vinh advises: “If customers pay a little attention, they can easily distinguish by looking at the outside. American pears, apples or grapes always have a much lighter color than imported ones. The shape of imported American fruits is also more uniform.”

Check icheck software for apples

Ms. Dinh Thi Huong (living in District 1) said: "Every week I go to the market to buy fruit for my family to eat during the day. According to the seller, all the goods are imported from Europe and still have the original labels, but I noticed that most of them are packaged in boxes with Chinese characters. In my opinion, the labeling is not safe."

Sharing the same opinion with Ms. Huong, Ms. Nga (living in Tan Binh) confided: "I just buy the stamp when I see it, but who can verify whether the stamp is real or fake? It's too weird to have to peel each apple and swap out the orange. Nowadays, there are fake goods everywhere, so I'd rather not know than use it. Once I know, I don't know what to eat or drink."

According to VNN