Vietnam pork salbutamol contamination investigation

Authorities in Vietnam have uncovered a large-scale operation involving the distribution of pork contaminated with salbutamol, a banned substance used to rapidly increase pig weight.

In Ho Chi Minh City, police dismantled a criminal ring responsible for distributing over 10,000 tonnes of contaminated pork in a scheme valued at approximately 600 billion VND. The investigation revealed that suspects used salbutamol to increase pig weights from roughly 110 kg to 140 kg within 30 days. To evade detection, the ring reportedly stopped administering the substance 10 days before sale and used liver detoxifying drugs. The operation led to the prosecution of nine individuals for food safety violations, trading banned goods, and bribery, including an animal quarantine officer who accepted bribes to bypass inspections.

In a related development in Dong Nai, police initiated criminal proceedings against two farm owners after an inspection on September 5 uncovered 2,349 pigs containing the prohibited leanness-enhancing agent. The seized livestock weighed 305 tonnes, with a market value exceeding 15 billion VND. The suspects admitted to mixing the substance into feed to accelerate weight gain. The incidents have prompted public calls for stricter controls on chemical use in livestock farming due to health concerns.