Concerns about food safety at makeshift markets.

Pedestrians park their vehicles on the roadside to buy pork at the impromptu Hiep Binh market in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City.

A hard habit to break.

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the demand for goods increases, leading to the emergence of many makeshift markets along roadsides, sidewalks, and vacant lots in front of factories. Residents and workers prefer these markets because they are convenient, inexpensive, and allow them to buy goods even while stopping their vehicles on the roadside. However, the worrying aspect is the quality of goods, especially fresh food, which may not meet hygiene standards.

For weeks now, Duong Quang Ham street (Ward 5, 7, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) has been shrouded in dust due to residents demolishing houses to widen the road, yet the makeshift market on Duong Quang Ham street (near the intersection of Duong Quang Ham and Nguyen Thai Son) continues to operate. In the evenings, stalls selling fresh vegetables, pork, and fish are bustling with buyers and sellers. The women selling vegetables occasionally spray water to wash away the dust and keep the produce green. Pork is left exposed to the sun and dust, with vendors occasionally fanning away flies. Customers stop their vehicles at will to buy meat and vegetables.

As the afternoon drew to a close, the makeshift market on Nguyen Xi Street (Ward 13, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) became increasingly crowded. Several vendors selling vegetables, pork, and goat meat stood on the street, hawking their wares and trying to entice passersby to buy their goods. Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich, a resident of Binh Hoa residential area, shared that she knew the pork sold on the sidewalk wasn't hygienic, but she was used to buying it there. On her way home from work, a few minutes' stop on her motorbike was enough to buy enough meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits for her family. Many shoppers said that there were convenience stores along the street, but they rarely went in because they were reluctant to pay for parking. The market offered goods at cheaper prices than convenience stores, with some items costing as little as 5,000-10,000 VND.

In suburban areas with a high concentration of migrant workers, such as Truong Thanh, Linh Trung, and Hiep Binh Chanh wards (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), informal markets are bustling with buyers and sellers. The informal market on Hiep Binh Street in Hiep Binh Chanh ward stretches for hundreds of meters, with hundreds of stalls of varying sizes. The goods sold at these markets include not only vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, but also live chickens and ducks at many locations.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc (a resident of Tam Phu Street, Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward, Thu Duc City, a regular customer of the makeshift market) shared that his family likes shopping at the makeshift market on Hiep Binh Street because they can personally select the chickens and ducks they like. Buyers only wait 5-7 minutes to get fresh chicken and duck to take home. During outbreaks of avian flu, even though the authorities banned sales, they could still buy live chickens and ducks at the market.

Difficult to manage food hygiene and safety.

According to Circular 10/2023 of the Ministry of Health on regulations for food safety inspection activities in food production and business, the People's Committees of wards and communes; and ward and commune health stations are responsible for inspecting food safety in their areas. In reality, inspecting and monitoring the quality and safety of food hygiene at spontaneous markets still faces many difficulties.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ward 5 (Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City), acknowledged that ensuring hygiene and food safety at spontaneous markets and street vendors is a difficult task in the locality. According to regulations, to be allowed to sell fresh produce, pork vendors must meet conditions such as the meat being packaged and kept in a refrigerated compartment…

In reality, even a quick glance reveals that the pork vendors in the makeshift market are not up to standard. Because of the people's consumer demand, the ward cannot close the makeshift market and prohibit the sale of pork. The measures the ward is implementing include regular inspections, requiring vendors to comply with regulations, and fining buyers who stand in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic, in order to gradually change people's habits and eventually eliminate the makeshift market.

According to Ms. Le Hong Tham, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ward 13 (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City), to control hygiene and food safety, the ward encourages residents to register their businesses and sign a commitment to sell goods with clear origins and correct weight. However, some businesses, driven by profit, have sourced pork from the unregulated market. Through inspections, the ward has twice discovered stall owners selling pork without a clear origin, and has issued citations and taken strict action.

Officials in many wards and communes say that, to avoid inspection by authorities, many businesses have moved from informal markets to mobile vending. Vendors modify motorbikes, small trucks, and cars to use as selling points, offering everything from vegetables and fruits to fish, meat, and live chickens and ducks. These vending vehicles often enter residential areas and stop at factory and industrial plant gates during rush hour. Whenever they see authorities approaching, they quickly move to another location. The quality of goods and food sold from these vehicles is not controlled.

HOANG VAN

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