The General Department of Market Surveillance, on January 10, provided additional details about the smuggling and sale of over 13 tons of sausages, Chinese dried sausages, processed meat, snacks, and confectioneries for children, packaged in unfamiliar foreign scripts, which were recently seized by authorities in Hanoi during year-end inspections.
As part of an intensified effort to monitor the market before, during, and after the Lunar New Year 2025, the Hanoi Department of Market Surveillance, in coordination with the Hanoi Economic Police Department, inspected and confiscated over 13 tons of unsafe food products at a warehouse in Dong Thap Commune, Dan Phuong District (on the outskirts of Hanoi), as reported by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper on January 7.
During the inspection, the confiscated items—mainly sausages, jerky, and various confectioneries—were found mixed with other food products that had proper documentation, complicating the sorting and inventory process.
The packaging of the seized items featured foreign scripts without supplementary Vietnamese labels. Many products showed signs of spoilage, including leaking liquids and strong bad odors.
According to market surveillance authorities, after verification, the warehouse owner, born in 1990 and residing in Dan Phuong District, admitted that the over 13 tons of food had no documented origin, lacked invoices, and were purchased from unregulated sources, mostly from the border. These goods were then brought to Hanoi and surrounding provinces for distribution.
Had the shipment been successfully delivered, these uncertified food products would have been sold in convenience stores or fast-food outlets, primarily targeting students.
The warehouse owner stated that the total value of the illegal shipment was nearly VND1.9 billion.
The General Department of Market Surveillance reported that authorities have sealed and confiscated all the food items, which are now scheduled to be destroyed according to regulations.
According to Mr. Le Manh Hung, a market surveillance official, in the upcoming time, market surveillance forces will continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to implement a strict inspection plan before, during, and after the Lunar New Year. Specifically, food products of questionable quality sold to students at school gates across Hanoi will be closely monitored, with an increase in inspection frequency.
“If detected, we will take strict action to deter and help prevent the sale of unsafe, harmful, or uncertified food,” Mr. Le Manh Hung stated.
