Can't believe how fake milk 'blooms' in Hoa Binh

Facility No. 10, Da Hop townhouse area, Hoa Binh city - although it has a company signboard, it is "hung by request" from the building's tenant - Photo: CHI TUE

It is worth mentioning that 305 products have never been post-inspected and the company's branches are all "ghost branches".

"Hoa Binh branch" of fake milk is obstetrics and gynecology clinic

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper, companies in the fake milk production chain have established four branches in Hoa Binh province to self-declare their products.

In particular, according to the registration file for product declaration and self-declaration sent to the Department of Food Safety of Hoa Binh province, the Hoa Binh branch - Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and the Hoa Binh branch - Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company have the same address at 335 Tran Hung Dao Street, Quynh Lam Ward, Hoa Binh City.

The Hoa Binh branch - Big Four Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and the Hoa Binh branch - BFF Medical Nutrition Joint Stock Company, have the same address at No. 10, Da Hop adjacent area, Group 12, Huu Nghi Ward, Hoa Binh City. These are companies in the same "ecosystem" of fake milk.

Arriving at 335 Tran Hung Dao, Hoa Binh City - where the two companies "leading" the fake milk production and trading ring registered their "branches", we were surprised that this address did not have any branches as the registration form the company sent.

Instead, there is an obstetrics and gynecology clinic and a draft beer shop at the same address 335 Tran Hung Dao.

In the clinic, Ms. Pham Thi Thoa - clinic manager - is cleaning up to prepare for opening.

Talking to Tuoi Tre , Ms. Thoa was surprised when her clinic address was a branch of a fake milk production company. She said she had worked there for the past 8 years and had never sold milk, nor had any company mentioned setting up a distribution branch at the store.

"In recent days, when there was information that the fake milk company had the same address as the clinic, many relatives called to ask, thinking that I also sold fake milk with the company. This affected me a lot. I don't understand why companies use the clinic's address as a branch," Ms. Thoa said indignantly.

Like Ms. Thoa, Mr. Thuan - the owner of 335 Tran Hung Dao - was also surprised when his house was used as a branch of a dairy company. He said he only rented it to Ms. Thoa to use as a clinic and a part for his son to use as a beer house. "There is no company here, they just used my house address to register documents," Mr. Thuan affirmed.

At address number 10, Da Hop adjacent area, group 12, Huu Nghi ward, Hoa Binh city - the address of 2 companies in the "ecosystem" of fake milk trading - is less than 100m from the headquarters of the Department of Food Safety of Hoa Binh province.

There is no Big Four Pharma sign here, but there is a sign for BFF Medical Company and a local construction company.

Inside this branch there was no trace of any nutritional products and only one employee of the construction company working.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre , Mr. T. - the owner of the construction company - said that he rented the building for his employees to work. Regarding the sign of BFF Medical Company, Mr. T. said "an acquaintance asked him to install it", not knowing what this company produced.

Even though the company is under investigation, its signboard is still neatly "hung up", and there is even a "suggestion box" left under the company signboard.

Thus, 4 companies registered branches in Hoa Binh but they are just "ghost" addresses, with no production activities, no business, no production display.

However, in just 3 years, these 4 companies have filed applications to register 305 products, accounting for more than 53% of all fake milk brands.

How are 305 products licensed?

According to information from the Hoa Binh Food Safety Department, these companies started applying for licenses at the department from 2023. In 3 years, these four companies submitted 184 product declaration dossiers and 121 product self-declaration dossiers.

Companies take turns submitting registration applications. For example, in January Hacofood Company submits its application, in February Rance Pharma Company submits its application..., each month these companies announce dozens of products to the market.

Mr. Vu Duc Toan - Head of Inspection and Professional Affairs Department, Department of Food Safety and Hygiene of Hoa Binh province, said that according to current regulations on product declaration registration and self-declaration, companies with branches in the area can submit their documents to the department like his department.

"Companies prepare documents according to regulations, complete with relevant papers, then send them to the department by post or directly. Immediately after submitting the documents, according to regulations, companies can manufacture products and bring them to market.

The Department is responsible for receiving documents, posting information about documents and acceptance announcements on the system. After that, it will conduct post-inspection work," said Mr. Toan.

Thus, right after these companies opened branches in Hoa Binh province, within 3 years they submitted 305 applications. However, after 3 years, Mr. Toan said that he had not yet inspected any products of these companies.

Explaining the fact that out of 305 products, none of them have been "involved" in post-inspection, Mr. Toan said that the companies' milk products were all registered for processing in other provinces and had not received any feedback from consumers.

During the process of hazard control and market inspection, these products were completely absent in the province, so there was no sampling, evaluation, or quality testing.

He said the unit also did not receive information from other channels, for example, there were no consumer complaints about these milk products.

No. 335 Tran Hung Dao, Hoa Binh City is the address of the obstetrics and gynecology clinic - Photo: CHI TUE

"Ghost" branch not under the management of the Food Safety Department

There was no post-inspection of products due to lack of samples, but in just 3 years, 305 products were registered, and in 2024 alone, 4 companies accounted for 90% of the self-declared records in the area. So who manages these business registration branches?

Is it strange that hundreds of self-declared profiles in the area have no products for post-inspection that need to be clarified?!

In response to this question, Mr. Toan said that the issuance of business registration certificates is not under the authority of the department but is under the authority of another unit (Department of Planning and Investment - PV), the department only receives submitted documents. The department receives valid business registration companies.

According to Mr. Toan, the fact that these companies produce in one province, register product declarations in another province, and supply markets elsewhere has caused many difficulties for management agencies.

"Especially the post-inspection and product evaluation work. Although everything is being done in accordance with regulations, there are some regulations that are no longer suitable and need to be adjusted," Mr. Toan commented.

Hoa Binh Provincial Department of Health is reviewing

According to the Department of Food Safety (Ministry of Health), every year the department issues documents directing local health departments to implement food safety post-inspection work in the area.

Speaking with a representative of the Department of Health of Hoa Binh province, this person said that the post-inspection work was assigned to the Food Safety Department. After the incident occurred, the unit is conducting a review and will provide information when the results are available.

Read more Back to Topics

Back to topic

WILLOW - WISDOM

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-tin-noi-cach-sua-gia-tram-hoa-dua-no-o-hoa-binh-20250417231930763.htm