Vietnam food safety and counterfeit goods crackdown

Vietnamese authorities have launched intensified operations to combat food safety violations and the distribution of counterfeit goods.

In one major case, Hanoi Police dismantled a production ring at Vintechpharm Pharmaceutical - Cosmetic Production Co., Ltd. that manufactured counterfeit effervescent vitamin tablets. Investigations revealed that the products contained sodium benzoate levels exceeding legal limits by 20 to 33 times, while advertised vitamins were entirely absent. The company’s director, Nguyễn Thế Vinh, was detained following the seizure of over 1.2 million products sold via pharmacies and e-commerce platforms.

Broader enforcement actions have also targeted other sectors. In Quang Ninh, police intercepted 1.5 tons of bean sprouts containing the prohibited substance 6-benzylaminopurine. Additionally, in Bac Ninh, officials seized over 233,000 cosmetic products of unknown origin from RRMB BEAUTY Co., Ltd., resulting in significant fines for trading goods without legal documentation. Authorities continue to monitor social media and e-commerce sites to intercept anonymous accounts selling low-quality functional foods and counterfeit items.

Recent enforcement in Hanoi has expanded to include a major ring involving the illegal production and sale of counterfeit cosmetic fillers and Botox, with approximately 123,000 products valued at over 74 billion VND seized. Customs reports for the third quarter of 2026 indicate a significant rise in violations, detecting over 5,600 cases involving goods worth over 8,070 billion VND. These incidents include smuggling ivory, large cat bones, tax evasion, and the transport of narcotics and counterfeit goods across land and sea borders.