Functional foods, despite being just health support products with no therapeutic effect, are available in tens of thousands of types due to high consumer demand. However, consumers are worried by the presence of fake and poor-quality functional foods, a result of lax production and management.
Recently, the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Agency has dismantled a fake functional food production and consumption ring and seized more than 100 tons of products.
According to the investigation results, since 2016, Director Nguyen Nang Manh of MegaPhaco Company, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MediUSA Company and his accomplices have established and operated many companies to legalize the production and trade of fake health supplements and funcional foods, from the stages of importing raw materials, production, packaging, and consumption.
Disguised as 'imported from the US and Europe' with anti-counterfeit labels, the primary raw materials are in fact sourced from China or acquired illegally. In terms of quality metrics, numerous components fall short, achieving less than 30 percent of the stated standards.
During the investigation, the individuals involved admitted that their method of product distribution included direct engagement with pharmaceutical representatives, provincial pharmacies, and pharmaceutical distribution companies to promote and introduce counterfeit products. The result of the probe revealed that five officials from the Food Safety Department under the Ministry of Health accepted bribes, facilitating the circulation of these counterfeit goods in the market.
The perpetrators used bribes to influence product appraisals, post-market inspections, and the licensing process for product announcements. They also paid more than VND1 billion (US$38,504) to inspection teams to overlook violations during the evaluation of two manufacturing facilities.
Yesterday, a representative of Pharmacity pharmacy confirmed that they had recalled 4 products manufactured by Herbitech Company, including PMC Hoat Huyet, PMC Gingko Biloba, PMC Joint Care, PMC Liver Support. The above products were registered, announced and distributed by Hoang Giang Saigon Pharmaceutical Company Limited.
According to the Ministry of Health, from 2021 to present, the market has more than 54,549 functional food products, with 80.4 percent being domestically produced products from 201 manufacturing facilities. Of over 54,549 functional food products, some 29,779 are health protection foods, 350 medical nutritional foods, 1,287 foods for special diets, and 23,133 dietary supplements.
The Vietnam Functional Food Association reports that the domestic functional food market is growing at an annual rate of 15 percent, driven by increasing consumer demand for health and wellness products. To build consumer trust, many companies incorporate the term 'pharmaceutical' into their names, despite the fact that functional foods are regulated under the Food Safety Law and related legislation—not pharmaceutical law.
Products classified as health protection foods, medical nutritional products, and foods for special dietary use are required to obtain certification of product quality standards from the Food Safety Department.
Associate Professor Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, noted that although Vietnam lags behind the global market in the development of functional foods, its rapid domestic growth has outpaced regulatory capacity. As a result, challenges have emerged in the areas of importation, production, and advertising, increasing the risk of counterfeit or substandard products entering the market.
Ms. Phong Lan emphasized the need for a dedicated law or regulatory program specific to functional foods to prevent public confusion with pharmaceuticals. She also called for stronger oversight of functional food advertising on social media platforms.
