Smuggled products entering Vietnam through unofficial channels are not inspected by authorities for quality or food safety. Therefore, they always pose many potential risks to consumers’ health. One of the smuggled products sold in the community is MSG.
Identifying smuggled MSG
At some markets and central stores in Quang Tri province, people can easily find smuggled MSG packages being sold openly at spice and dry food stalls.
This smuggled MSG is commonly known as “Cai Muong” brand MSG. The product is smuggled across the border between Vietnam and Laos, then transported by road to domestic markets for consumption.
On this bag of smuggled MSG "Cai Muong" brand, there is no information in Vietnamese about the origin, source, label, ingredients or expiry date.
The packaging of "Cai Muong" MSG does not have any information in Vietnamese about its origin (Photo: Minh Hoan).
Potential health hazards
Illegal MSG "Cai Muong" brand is sold openly among other spices (Photo: Minh Hoan).
According to Dr. Tran Thi Kim Chi, Head of the Nutrition Department, Gia Dinh People's Hospital (HCMC), the immediate harm to consumers' health is acute poisoning or allergies from impure ingredients in smuggled MSG products.
It can cause consumers, within a short period of time after use, to have symptoms such as headache, dizziness, even nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain...
Even more dangerous is long-term chronic poisoning. This condition can affect organs in the body, leading to liver failure, kidney failure or even for many years, toxic substances and harmful chemicals can exist, increasing the risk of cancer.
Thus, the quality and food safety of smuggled MSG are not guaranteed. Therefore, consumers should stay away from this type of MSG to protect the health of themselves and their families. This will also contribute to promoting the economy , creating conditions for domestic MSG production enterprises to develop, creating more jobs for people and contributing to the state budget.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/moi-nguy-tiem-an-cho-suc-khoe-tu-bot-ngot-nhap-lau-20240624210557334.htm
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