Why is contaminated food so rampant?

The weak deterrents, greedy traders, and uninformed buyers have fueled the widespread problem of unsafe food, endangering people's lives.

Late at night, a specialized vehicle from the Ho Chi Minh City Veterinary Inspection Department unexpectedly approached the Nam Phong slaughterhouse (Binh Thanh District). This slaughterhouse receives over 1,000 pigs each night from Dong Nai, Binh Thuan, and other provinces, butchers them, and sells the meat in the market before dawn. The inspection team discovered 124 pigs that tested positive for the banned substance Salbutamol – a growth stimulant that causes cancer.

However, the authorities' raid on the night of the last day of January could only result in issuing a report and imposing administrative fines, but could not temporarily seize the pigs containing the banned substance. The owner of the pigs made a commitment to keep them until they tested negative for Salbutamol before they could be slaughtered.

Pigs suspected of being contaminated with banned substances at a slaughterhouse on the outskirts of Saigon. Photo: HH

During the first 10 days of inspections this year, the Department of Veterinary Medicine discovered nearly 1,000 pigs contaminated with banned substances. The levels of these banned substances in the pigs were hundreds to thousands of times higher than the permitted limits. Among the violating traders, some had violated the regulations up to five times.

The use of banned substances is largely prevalent in farms and livestock households. They obtain them from traders, feed marketing staff, or buy them in small quantities from drug distributors to increase the lean meat content of pigs and boost profits, without fully understanding the harmful effects. A leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Veterinary Department stated that due to high profits, traders disregard all consequences.

"For each pig containing banned substances that goes on the market, the owner makes about one million dong in profit. The current penalties are very light, so they have no deterrent effect, causing traders to try again after losing the first time," he said.

According to Pham Tien Dung, Head of the Specialized Inspection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, regulations at the time stipulated that if a pig's urine tested positive for banned substances, authorities would detain all live pigs and conduct further quantitative analysis. After 7 days, if the test results were negative for banned substances, authorities would allow the pigs to be slaughtered.

Using conventional testing methods, it takes 36 hours to obtain urine test results. The testing unit cannot store the pigs while waiting for the results because they lack proper pens and cold storage facilities. During this waiting period, the pig owners have already sold all the pigs.

"If the analysis results show that the meat is contaminated with banned substances exceeding the limit, the authorities can easily take action, but if the results are negative, the pig owner could even sue and demand compensation for damages," Mr. Dung said, adding that in 2015 no batches of pigs contaminated with banned substances had been destroyed.

A facility in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, is using yellow dye to color pickled bamboo shoots. Photo: AX

The widespread presence of food contaminated with banned substances in markets is alarming. Earlier this year, the Ho Chi Minh City Environmental Police Department (PC49) discovered numerous facilities processing pickled bamboo shoots in District 12, with quantities reaching tens of tons, using auramine. This substance is easily purchased at Kim Bien market for 26,000 VND per kilogram – mainly imported from China and used in paper and dye production.

Meanwhile, according to the report from Da Nang, all 7 samples sent to Ho Chi Minh City for testing contained the carcinogenic substance Yellow O, but the only action taken was a warning and public awareness campaign. This testing center is not managed or certified by the state, so there is no basis for taking action against the violating facilities.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Agriculture added Yellow O to the list of banned substances. However, upon review, it was found that just 5,000 VND could be used to mix 200 liters of chemical solution, enough to soak about 50 kg of pickled vegetables and fresh bamboo shoots. Most vendors were unaware that Yellow O was banned and how toxic it was. They bought the bamboo shoots because buyers liked the attractive yellow color.

During inspections, inter-agency bodies also face bureaucratic hurdles, as they are required to notify businesses and households five days in advance. This creates opportunities for small traders to circumvent the law, avoiding the use of banned dyes on inspection days.

Adding to the reasons for the widespread problem of unsafe food, the Head of the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health), Nguyen Thanh Phong, said that inspection and monitoring work is still ineffective, and the primary responsibility lies with the relevant authorities, including the health agency. Furthermore, the customs of buying and selling goods at markets, especially informal markets, make it difficult to inspect and control food.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tong Xuan Chinh – Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry – said that in addition to the 9 tons of Salbutamol imported through official channels, in 2015, due to Vietnam's long border, the amount of smuggled goods is currently impossible to control. "Many new antibiotics and substances are also being developed worldwide, about 400 substances a year, so we need to keep up-to-date to detect them promptly," Mr. Chinh said.

A facility that was transforming sow meat into beef was discovered in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: AX

Regarding solutions to address the loopholes, the Ministry of Agriculture issued Circular 01/2016, amending Circular 57/2012. A new point in this amendment is that from February 25th, if authorities detect livestock or poultry using banned substances, they are allowed to destroy them on the spot. The previous regulation only allowed inspection and keeping the herd of pigs for monitoring; once the banned substance residue was gone, they could be slaughtered.

"The previous penalties didn't deter violators because if they violated the rules, they would just pay the fine and slaughter the animals again. Now, with stricter measures, including fines and destruction of the animals, the significant loss of property will make them afraid," said Mr. Nguyen Van Viet, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Ho Chi Minh City has agreed in principle to establish a food testing unit with the aim of controlling the situation, and is awaiting the Prime Minister's approval. Once established, the center will be under the management of the City People's Committee and will be responsible for food and environmental issues for millions of citizens.

From July 1st, the act of processing, trading, or using banned substances may be punishable by imprisonment for up to 20 years.

According to VNE