Illegal MSG - more harm than good

The route of smuggled MSG into Vietnam

Vietnamese people have long favored goods originating from Thailand and Japan. Therefore, as soon as it was introduced to Vietnam, the "Cai Muong" brand MSG originating from Thailand, produced by THAI FERMENTATION IND. CO.,LTD., quickly became popular with consumers.

After being produced in Thailand, "Cai Muong" brand MSG is transported to Laos, from here it is smuggled across the border between Vietnam and Laos, then transported by road to markets in the domestic market of Vietnam for consumption.

On this bag of smuggled MSG "Cai Muong" brand, there is no information in Vietnamese about the origin, source, label, ingredients or expiry date...

After a period of relative silence, "Cải bầu" brand MSG is showing signs of resurfacing at many major wholesale markets in the Central region such as Dong Ba, An Cuu, Phu Bai markets in Hue; Dong Ha, Dien Sanh markets in Quang Tri; Cong Doan, Dong Hoi markets in Quang Binh... Here, this smuggled "foreign label" product is very popular even though its price is higher than that of genuine domestically produced MSG, about 5,000 VND/500g package.

There is no Vietnamese information on the packaging of "Cai Muong" MSG for consumers to check the ingredients, expiration date...

Health hazards to consumers

According to nutrition experts, smuggled MSG, unknown origin, fake and counterfeit goods do not ensure food hygiene and safety and always pose a potential risk to the health of users.

Evaluating this type of smuggled MSG, Dr. Tran Thi Kim Chi - Head of the Department of Nutrition, Gia Dinh People's Hospital - said: "The immediate harm to consumers' health is acute poisoning or allergies from impure ingredients in smuggled MSG products, which can cause consumers to have symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, even nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc., within a short period of time after use.

And even more dangerous, the hidden part of the iceberg that we don't know about is long-term chronic poisoning, which can affect important organs in the body, leading to liver failure, kidney failure, or even for many years there may be toxic substances and harmful chemicals that are carcinogenic, increasing the risk of cancer."

Hiding many potential risks to users' health, smuggled MSG is still being sold openly in many markets in the Central region.

This type of MSG is imported into Vietnam through unofficial channels, not only does it not ensure tax revenue for the state but also affects legitimate businesses.

And to prevent this situation, it requires the cooperation of not only authorities and domestic manufacturers but also consumers themselves.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bot-ngot-lau-loi-bat-cap-hai-20240624154325721.htm