New opportunities for OCOP products.

BAC GIANG - Faced with the reality that numerous agricultural products, food items, and consumer goods have been exposed as counterfeit or substandard, consumers in Bac Giang province are shifting to buying and consuming agricultural products and processed agricultural products with clear origins and traceability, especially OCOP products.

Recently, authorities have uncovered numerous cases of counterfeit, imitation, and substandard goods production. Among these are many cases involving the large-scale trading and production of food and processed agricultural products.

Customers choose to buy OCOP products at GO! Supermarket in Bac Giang.

For example, on May 19th, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Bac Giang Provincial Police issued a decision to initiate a criminal case and prosecute Nguyen Van T, residing at Tran Khat Chan 1 Street, Tho Xuong Ward (Bac Giang City), for the crime of "Violating regulations on food safety." The investigation revealed that from January 2025 until his arrest, T used the growth stimulant 6-Benzylaminopurine to produce approximately 60 tons of bean sprouts for sale on the market. This substance is not on the list of permitted substances for use in food production.

Also in May, the Manh Nhan clean food processing facility, specializing in the production of horse meat sausage (with the product name "Manh Nhan Mai Suu Horse Meat Sausage" located on Mai Suu Street, Truong Son Commune, Luc Nam District), had to close down because it produced and sold horse meat sausage without testing and declaring the product's quality, and without printing the production date on the product. On May 20, 2025, the owner of this facility was summoned by the Truong Son Commune People's Committee for a meeting regarding food safety and hygiene.

These incidents have caused public concern and eroded consumer trust. Ms. Duong Thi Oanh, residing on Ho Cat Street, Voi Town (Lang Giang District), shared that, given the prevalence of counterfeit or substandard food products on the market, her family has to choose products with clear origins and sources. Ms. Oanh prioritizes OCOP products from the province because these goods clearly state the production date, place of manufacture, and expiration date.

As of the end of May 2025, Bac Giang province had 444 OCOP products rated 3 stars or higher; including 1 5-star product, 21 4-star products, and 422 3-star products; with a total production volume reaching tens of thousands of tons per year.

Not only Ms. Oanh, but many consumers in the province are known to prefer products with clear origins and traceability. Therefore, recently, many stores, supermarkets, establishments, and cooperatives producing OCOP products in Bac Giang province have seen high demand. A representative from the Lien Chung Grilled Nem Cooperative in Lien Chung commune (Tan Yen district) stated that the cooperative currently sells over 700 grilled nem (pork sausages) per day, an increase of about 200 compared to the beginning of this year.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quoc My, Director of the Agricultural Service and Technical Center of Hiep Hoa District, the agricultural product introduction and promotion point (located on Nguyen Van Cu Street, Thang Town, Hiep Hoa District) managed by the unit is currently selling more than 20 OCOP products from the district and province. The food products sold there, such as An Binh pork sausage, Thai Son glutinous rice, and various types of honey, have seen sales increase by approximately 10% compared to the recent Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake).

To meet consumer demand, many convenience stores and supermarkets in the province, such as The City Luc Nam Supermarket, GO! Bac Giang Supermarket, Nga Vuot convenience store, Van Coc 4 residential area, Van Trung ward (Viet Yen town)... have created additional OCOP (One Commune One Product) stalls from the province and other localities nationwide to serve the people.

Ms. Duong Thi Van Nga, Managing Director of GO! Bac Giang Supermarket, said that the supermarket is currently selling 100 OCOP (One Commune One Product) products. These include products such as: Bac Giang lychees, Chu rice noodles (Luc Ngan), various fruits and vegetables from Yen Dung Clean Vegetable Cooperative, Thanh Ha lychees, Hoang Gia mung bean cakes, Hai Binh cashews, Cat Hai fish sauce, etc. Revenue from OCOP product sales in the first five months of this year increased by 12% compared to the same period last year.