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The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Vietnam faces scrutiny over fake milk and lax food safety rules
HANOI: Vietnam is grappling with the spread of counterfeit dairy products and self-declared nutritional supplements, many of which have been sold with unverified medical claims and distributed widely through hospitals, pharmacies and rural markets. Among the most concerning trends is the rise of so-called 'grass milk' (sua co), a marketing term coined by sales teams to promote obscure dairy products lacking recognised branding. Often imported in bulk and repackaged domestically, these products bypass official testing and are circulated under a loose regulatory framework that allows self-declaration without independent quality verification. "Allowing low-quality products into hospitals is a serious warning about weaknesses in our control system," said National Assembly Deputy Nguyen Thi Viet Nga. "Hospitals are supposed to be the most strictly regulated environments." Hospitals and villages targeted The Ministry of Health has responded by ordering hospitals nationwide to scrutinise their use of nutritional and dairy products. Any items deemed substandard must be removed. Yet oversight challenges persist across the supply chain, especially with products that have been self-certified and advertised using exaggerated or misleading claims. In rural areas, sales tactics are aggressive. In Hanoi's Son Tay Town, resident Nguyen Thi Liem described how a sales team brought products directly to her village. "They let each person drink a free cup, then offered promotions and gifts for those who bought it," she said, showing three tins of 'grass milk' she had purchased. Other residents shared similar stories of purchasing these products at marketing events or promotional campaigns. Fake products infiltrate market Authorities say the problem extends well beyond misleading advertising. In a recent high-profile case, the Ministry of Public Security dismantled a counterfeit milk operation spanning Hanoi and nearby provinces. The group had manufactured and sold fake powdered milk in vast quantities, falsely advertising it as a high-quality nutritional product for malnourished children and elderly patients. The products mimicked the branding of well-known companies and claimed to contain premium ingredients, such as colostrum, bird's nest or cordyceps, all of which were later found to be absent or replaced with lower-quality additives. Nutritional analysis revealed that many items contained less than 70 per cent of the substances claimed on their labels. One victim, Pham Bang from Hanoi's Hoai Duc District, said she gave her child fake milk for three years without knowing. "I can't stop thinking about it. I feel so guilty," she said, holding back tears. The product, marketed under the name Betrice, was produced by two companies now under criminal investigation. Each tin cost VNĐ500,000 (about US$20), and was marketed as a nutritional aid for underweight children. Regulatory loopholes under fire These cases have exposed serious weaknesses in Vietnam's food safety regulatory framework. Under Decree 15/2018/NĐ-CP (Decree 15), businesses can self-declare food products after submitting basic safety test results for contaminants like bacteria or heavy metals. However, the law does not require testing of actual nutritional content, creating what critics describe as a 'loophole for counterfeiters.' Officials from Hanoi's Food Safety Sub-Department have acknowledged that while companies must submit test results, the current requirements only cover basic safety indicators, not the product's actual composition. Even more concerning, officials say they rarely conduct post-market sample testing on these products. As a result, once a company's declaration is accepted, products can be legally sold without any further scrutiny, even if the nutritional claims are inaccurate or misleading. "This is not a regulatory breach," one official noted. "We are following current law." The consequences are far-reaching. One recently uncovered counterfeit ring was found to have produced nearly 600 fake milk brands. Many were distributed through pharmacies, online platforms and even hospitals. Another bust in May seized more than 100 tonnes of counterfeit supplements and medical devices from an illicit factory in Hung Yen Province. The products were labelled as imports from France or Spain but had been manufactured with unknown ingredients sourced from local markets. Authorities said the operation, led by a husband-and-wife team, had been running since 2020 and deliberately targeted infants, pregnant women and the elderly, groups most vulnerable to health misinformation. Fragmented oversight, diffused responsibility Critics say Vietnam's food safety oversight is hampered by fragmentation and overlapping mandates. The Ministry of Health regulates processed foods, supplements and imports. The Ministry of Agriculture oversees production at the farming level, while the Ministry of Industry and Trade monitors distribution and packaging. Local agencies are responsible for licensing, enforcement and inspections. This multi-agency model has led to a diffusion of responsibility, with no single body held accountable when unsafe products reach consumers. In the recent fake milk case, officials from all involved agencies cited procedural compliance to deflect blame. Directive 17, issued by the Communist Party Secretariat in October 2022, called for a single national food safety agency. Yet nearly three years later, implementation has stalled due to resource constraints. "We must urgently revise Decree 15 and implement a unified food safety authority,' said Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen. "Oversight must be tightened so that only products meeting quality standards can enter the market." Calls for reform and ethics education Lawmakers and experts are proposing sweeping reforms. These include mandatory third-party testing for high-risk products such as infant formula, public disclosure of post-market inspection results, and tighter controls on advertising. NA Deputy Nguyen Thi Viet Nga called for stricter enforcement and harsher penalties, arguing that the problem extended beyond regulatory loopholes. She pointed to greed and the erosion of business ethics as key factors, noting that some individuals knowingly put public health at risk in pursuit of profit. She proposed making business ethics a mandatory subject in all economics and business-related university programmes, warning that without early education in integrity, such violations were likely to continue. Lawyer Hoang Van Ha of ARC Law Firm said the current self-declaration system under Decree 15 was vulnerable to abuse without a robust post-market inspection framework. He argued that businesses should be required to submit not only safety results, but also the analytical methods used to verify product quality, allowing authorities to detect violations through periodic testing. Ha added that regulatory agencies should be held accountable for oversight failures, and called for more frequent inspections and stronger inter-agency coordination. Pharmacist Nguyen Xuan Hoang, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Functional Foods, suggested that requiring declared testing methods would help distinguish legitimate manufacturers from counterfeiters, as fraudulent producers would be unable to meet methodological standards. He also proposed that while waiting for formal amendments to Decree 15, technical regulations could be updated to tighten control over testing procedures and prevent low-quality products from entering the market. - Vietnam News/ANN
Rakyat Post
27-05-2025
- Health
- Rakyat Post
TDaP Vaccine For Pregnant Moms Now Free Under Health Ministry
Subscribe to our FREE The Ministry of Health (KKM) recently announced that they are offering the Tetanus-Difteria-Pertussis (TDaP) vaccine to all pregnant women Renowned constultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Imelda Balchin welcomed the announcement and expressed her excitement over the news with a comment on the Health Ministry's Facebook post. She said she has been administering the TDaP vaccine to pregnant women since 2012 and remarked this is a much awaited development. 'Finally, all pregnant mothers can get (the vaccine). God willing, we can protect newborns from being infected by the disease that causes pertusis,' she wrote in the comment. According to one comment, the TDaP vaccine could only be obtained from private clinics in the past and cost around RM250. What is the vaccine for exactly? Pertussis, otherwise known as Whooping Cough or 100-Day Cough, is a highly contagious yet vaccine-preventable disease caused by a type of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the infection is particularly Early symptoms of Whooping Cough include those similar to a common cold with a runny nose, fever, and mild cough. These are later followed by two or three months of severe coughing fits. Anti-vaxxers chime in on KKM's announcement Certain vaccine-averse individuals expressed their disdain towards the health ministry's announcement about giving out TDaP vaccines. Some gave their opinion that the vaccine is not necessary and babies have been fine without it, while some commented on different topics unrelated to the matter. Meanwhile, a few comments were generally dismissive of the vaccine distribution and some even assume that the vaccine is dangerous because it is being given out for free. One user commented saying even some public toilets require payment to be used, implying that a free vaccine could only spell trouble. The vaccine is a choice and no one is forcing pregnant mothers to take it As some users pointed out in the comments, the TDaP vaccine is a choice and the government is not forcing anyone to take it. People who support the health ministry's decision to make the vaccine free to pregnant women were perplexed by anti-vaxxers who chose to voice out on a matter where there is choice. In any case, Whooping Cough is a serious disease and the vaccine that prevents it has been used since 2005 with no risk of neuorological problems or adverse fetal effects, as reported by the Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Egypt Today
02-05-2025
- Health
- Egypt Today
60 million women examined as part of presidential initiative for women's health
CAIRO – 2 May 2025: Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population confirmed that 60 million women have received medical examination services as part of the President's initiative to support women's health. According to a report issued by The Ministry of Health, the early diagnosis and detection of breast tumors contributes to reducing the burden on patients and state's medical facilities through effective response to the treatment protocols provided totally free of charge. According to Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, 800,000 women have visited hospitals for advanced examination as part of the Presidential Initiative for Women's Health. He noted that the initiative provides free examination for women through 3,663 health units across the country, in addition to the participation of 102 hospitals to provide medical services to women requiring advanced treatment. The report explained that the initiative follows the latest international protocols for breast cancer treatment through 14 centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Population. These protocols are also implemented free of charge in 14 centers affiliated with the Supreme Council of University Hospitals. The report also noted that the initiative targets women aged 18 and over, and includes screening for non-communicable diseases (diabetes, blood pressure, weight and height measurements, body mass index (BMI), and obesity or overweight assessments), along with raising awareness of risk factors for non-communicable diseases, as well as raising awareness of family planning. The report revealed that 33,000 cases of breast cancer have been detected since the initiative was launched, in addition to 51,000 tumor samples being taken for analysis, and treatment being provided 'free of charge' to confirmed cases.
Rakyat Post
23-04-2025
- Health
- Rakyat Post
No Love For KKM's Raya Open House Featuring Top Singers
Subscribe to our FREE The Ministry of Health's (KKM) seemingly grand Hari Raya celebration yesterday did not sit well with many. Through a Facebook post, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad shared several photos of the event but what he got in return was a slew of criticism, ranging from 'tone deaf' to sarcastic remarks like 'next year invite BlackPink'. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was seen attending the event, while celebrities like Biduanita Negara Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza graced the stage to perform some of her greatest hits. Also invited to sing was Datuk Jamal Abdillah. Netizens criticized the event, calling it tone deaf Many took to social media to criticize the ministry, accusing it of not having its priorities straight and sidelining their staff, just to throw a big Hari Raya party in their ivory tower attended only by high-ranking officials, top management, and famous celebrities. Some Facebook users who left comments on Dr Dzulkefly's post raised concerns over alleged allowance cuts, delayed overtime payments, and annual salary increments that never materialised, all while labeling the event as tone deaf towards staff who were overworked and underpaid. 'The welfare of employees are not taken care of. We work until we're half dead. But you can enjoy while wasting money where it's not supposed to be spent. All of you will answer for your cruelty. Better just delete this post,' one Facebook user commented. Hartal Doktor Kontrak, a social activism group for contract doctors, also voiced out against the KKM Hari Raya celebration event. Posting a rather sarcastic remark on its Facebook page, the group called out the health ministry's inconsiderate Aidilfitri party, while highlighting the alleged on-call and overtime wage cuts, rejected claims, and lack of allocations for supplies. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Daily Tribune
07-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain marks World Health Day 2025
The Ministry of Health commemorated World Health Day 2025 with a ceremony held under the theme 'Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures', highlighting the Kingdom's dedication to maternal and child health as a cornerstone of national well-being. The event was attended by Lieutenant General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, and Dr. Jaleela bint Al Sayed Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health, along with senior health officials, medical professionals, and representatives from key institutions. In her address, the Minister of Health reaffirmed Bahrain's steadfast commitment to public health under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and with the ongoing support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. She stressed that maternal and child health is a fundamental pillar of Bahrain's national health strategy, aimed at providing integrated, lifelong care that fosters long-term wellness and development. The Minister described investments in this area as vital to building a strong and resilient society. Dr. Jaleela highlighted the Ministry's efforts—guided by the Supreme Council of Health—to provide comprehensive preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services, alongside advancing healthcare system innovation and raising public health awareness. She also outlined Bahrain's holistic approach, which includes premarital screenings, prenatal and postnatal care, child health monitoring, vaccination adherence, and the promotion of breastfeeding and balanced nutrition. Emphasising Bahrain's drive for innovation, the Minister noted ongoing investments in digital health solutions and modern technologies to improve care quality and ensure sustainability. She added that the 2025 theme echoes Bahrain's belief that early health interventions pave the way for a prosperous future. The event featured a video presentation showcasing key maternal and child health services, including updates to the national immunisation programme —with a focus on vaccines for pregnant women and children. Awareness activities were also held to encourage early health practices and healthy lifestyles within the community.
