From the Tu Bac milk supermarket scandal to the 'matrix' of the powdered milk market

(Baonghean.vn) - The diversity of types, products, and origins of powdered milk products on the market today is "making it difficult" for consumers...

Confused about choosing milk for your child?

Currently, powdered milk is sold in many supermarkets and stores, large and small, from the city to the countryside; with a variety of types. Ms. Dinh Thi Huyen (Quan Bau Ward, Vinh City) wondered: I have two children over 2 years old and 5 years old, who regularly drink powdered milk. Every time I go to buy milk for my children, I am dazzled by the myriad of milk types, from many brands; every type of milk is advertised attractively by the seller. In addition to domestic products, there are many foreign milk products, making it difficult to choose.

The milk market is diverse in types and brands, making consumers confused.

Many parents prefer foreign milk, but choosing foreign milk that ensures the desired "foreign" quality is not easy. Most consumers have the habit of buying based on "trust". Ms. Nguyen Kim Ngan (Ha Huy Tap Ward, Vinh City) said: I have been buying Japanese Meiji milk for my baby for more than 2 years now. I bought it based on the instructions of an acquaintance, but I am still not very confident when there is a lot of information about poor quality milk and fake milk on the market.

Customers’ concerns are understandable given the diversity and complexity of the milk market. In Vinh City alone, about 10% of grocery stores sell powdered milk. In terms of types, there are over 50 different milk brands; of which foreign milk accounts for over 70% of the market share.

Gold mixed with brass

A salesperson at a supermarket specializing in children's products on Nguyen Van Cu Street, Vinh City revealed: The current foreign milk market is "mixed with gold and brass".

At the Japanese Supermarket (Le Hong Phong Street, Vinh City) where many products are introduced as originating from the Land of the Rising Sun, the store owner said: “The powdered milk here is mostly “hand-carried” so the price is higher than other places but the quality is assured. “Hand-carried” goods do not have secondary labels, if customers want to know product information, I will go online to find out and get advice.”

Foreign milk accounts for a large quantity in the market, making it difficult to control the origin and quality of the products.

“Hand-carried” goods are understood to be goods imported from abroad to Vietnam through unofficial channels, so the quantity is often limited. However, at “hand-carried” stores in Vinh city, goods are sold in very large quantities.

Visiting a "hand-carried" store that is quite famous among "addicts" of foreign goods on Nguyen Van Cu Street, the store owner admitted: "We import from acquaintances, each time we get goods, the quantity is quite large, the goods are also diverse in types and come from many countries such as: Australia, Japan, Korea, Russia... The source of goods is not limited like before, now there is a whole "chain" to import large batches of goods from abroad; the hand-carried items are all without secondary labels and tax-free."

In addition to concerns about the origin, the price difference between milk products between stores will also cause headaches for buyers. For milk products for children over 6 years old (there is no regulation on price ceiling), most stores set their own prices. According to a grocery store owner Quynh Lien (Herman Street, Vinh City): Depending on the milk brand, the discount is from 5-10% but the price of the same product, each store sells at a different price; like our store often sells at a lower price to compete and retain customers.

Management problem

The “matrix” of the powdered milk market not only confuses consumers but is also a difficult problem for authorities in management. Mr. Nguyen Van Duan – Head of the General Planning Department – ​​Nghe An Market Management Department admitted: “Currently, there are some stores selling milk products of unclear origin, but in small quantities.”

According to Mr. Duẩn, to inspect business establishments, the Market Management Agency must notify the business owners of the inspection content 3 days in advance. Therefore, many shop owners find ways to deal with it, making it difficult for the authorities to detect violations. On the other hand, there is no regulation on the expiration date of invoices, so many shop owners have taken advantage of this loophole to legalize invoices.

In Vinh City, there are many small grocery stores that sell powdered milk, making it difficult to manage and control this item.

In fact, there are currently a large number of grocery stores that sell milk in the area. Meanwhile, according to regulations, the Market Management Force is only allowed to conduct inspections no more than once a year, with the same content for business establishments. Or only when there is a reflection from the people suspecting that the business establishment is violating, this force has a basis to conduct inspections. Therefore, the detection and punishment of violations of business conditions for goods in general and milk products in particular are still limited. The number of inspections and handling of violations in business for powdered milk products is not much.

The powdered milk market is diverse and complex, while market management of this product still has many shortcomings, requiring consumers to be wise in choosing products to protect themselves.

Moonlight