Officers inspect samples at a wholesale market in HCM City as authorities step up checks on food of unknown origin ahead of the Lunar New Year. Photo: laodong.vn

HCM CITY — Police in HCM City have stepped up inspections and enforcement against violations related to food safety, as the production and sale of food of unknown origin has become increasingly widespread and complex, according to the city Police's Department of Economic Police.

Authorities said that food products of unclear origin, often sold in diverse forms and at flexible prices, remain common in daily family meals and restaurant banquets, posing serious risks to public health.

As part of a peak campaign to crack down on food safety violations ahead of the Lunar New Year 2026, the Department of Economic Police has launched large-scale inspections targeting facilities involved in the production, processing and trading of food that lacks clear origin or fails to meet hygiene standards.

During inspections of cold storage warehouses in areas such as An Phú Đông, Bình Hưng Hoà, Thủ Đức and Tam Bình, police uncovered dozens of tonnes of animal offal and meat without invoices or documents proving origin. The goods were found to have been sourced from informal markets for resale at a profit.

All food items of unknown origin were destroyed, and administrative penalties were imposed, with total fines paid into the State budget exceeding VNĐ1.6 billion.

More recently, from field surveillance and intelligence work, police detected suspicious activities related to the sale of beef suspected to be fake, leading to the establishment of a special investigation.

Initial findings identified Lê Quang Quyết, 33, and six accomplices as organising the production of counterfeit beef made from pork unfit for food safety and industrial-grade sodium metabisulphite, a preservative banned from use in food.

Investigators determined that the operation produced about 600kg of fake beef per day, supplying around 75 eateries in HCM City and neighbouring localities.

Lieutenant Colonel Ngô Thuận Lăng, Deputy Head of the Department of Economic Police, said the investigation is being expanded to include individuals and businesses suspected of supplying unsafe raw materials, as well as those involved in consumption, in order to clarify intent, profit motives and potential accomplice roles.

He added that authorities are also issuing warnings to the public to help consumers make informed choices and avoid unsafe products.

Police have proposed that food safety management agencies intensify inspections of food importers, strictly monitor shelf life and circulation, and immediately destroy meat products showing signs of spoilage. Communal-level People’s Committees have been urged to conduct regular checks on food businesses using unusually cheap ingredients and to require eateries to commit to sourcing materials with proper contracts, invoices and clear origins.

Authorities also called for stronger public communication to discourage consumers from purchasing low-priced food of unknown origin that fails to meet food safety standards and could endanger health. VNS