Hundreds of snack items with foreign language labels and no Vietnamese supplementary labels are being sold at a convenience store in Dong Ha City - Photo: HN
At 8 PM at a convenience store in Dong Ha City, reporters observed many young people, teenagers, and children gathered to eat. Customers could buy food to take away or choose their own dishes, even preparing instant noodles or spicy noodles to enjoy on the spot. Chicken feet, duck feet, sausages, spicy fish, instant noodles, various dried meats, candies, and other snacks of all colors and types were displayed on the shelves with prices ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 VND.
One worrying aspect is that when buyers want to check the ingredients and origin of most of these products, they cannot find a supplementary label in Vietnamese, and the name of the importing company is not printed on the packaging.
When asked about this, the seller said, "These are domestically produced goods imported directly from China. It's probably a machine error that hasn't scanned the labels yet. But I assure you they are all quality products." Unable to read the foreign language text on the product packaging, the sales staff gave further vague explanations before leaving.
After interviewing several customers, the reporter learned that they came to buy the products after seeing advertisements and review videos on TikTok and Facebook, or simply to buy for their children, "following the trend" because the item was "hot." It's not just young people; many adults are also caught up in this consumer trend.
Ms. Tran Huong, residing in Ward 2, Dong Ha City, said: “After watching TikTok, my daughter insisted that I take her to buy Dacheng spicy duck neck. Not only my daughter, but her classmates also really like these Chinese snacks. According to them, these snacks are very visually appealing, delicious, and especially cheap, making them suitable for them to pool money with their friends to buy and share.”
Lacking specific origins and only advertised as "domestic Chinese products," these snacks are widely available and popular among young people and teenagers. Besides physical stores, these products are also heavily marketed on social media and e-commerce platforms at incredibly low prices; content creators produce numerous promotional videos, enticing viewers to try them out.
Delicious and inexpensive, but there is no documented evidence to support the safety of these snacks. Furthermore, no one knows the ingredients used to make these appealing treats.
Imported food and beverage products must have packaging and labels in Vietnamese, along with valid invoices and supporting documents. If the expiration date, origin, and ingredients are not clearly stated, these products may expire and undergo chemical changes by the time they reach consumers, compromising their nutritional value and safety.
According to the World Health Organization, processed foods and foods that undergo processes such as salting, fermentation, drying, and smoking contain high levels of salt, fat, and additives, which are classified as Group 1 carcinogens. Furthermore, to transport and preserve food for extended periods while maintaining its color and flavor, manufacturers must use large quantities of artificial colorings, flavorings, and preservatives.
In particular, items like chicken feet, duck feet, and duck necks, which are in direct contact with the environment, have a high risk of contamination and can easily cause digestive problems if not processed and preserved properly. Snack foods are often marinated with spices and chili peppers, making them prone to stomach pain if consumed in excess; and can cause internal heat and acne if consumed frequently.
For children, whose digestive and nervous systems are not yet fully developed, frequent consumption of these types of snacks can lead to long-term accumulation of toxins in the body, affecting the nervous system. Consuming these foods of unknown origin also creates a subjective mindset in food choices, gradually forming unhealthy eating habits in the younger generation.
In my opinion, to minimize the risks associated with the current consumption of snack foods, a comprehensive and systematic management system needs to be implemented at border crossings. If products labeled "Made in China" are indeed imported goods, they should undergo rigorous inspection and testing before reaching wholesalers, retailers, and ultimately consumers.
In addition, authorities need to regularly inspect and handle cases where stores and supermarkets sell goods with foreign language labels but without supplementary labels, and cannot present invoices, documents proving origin, and other relevant papers.
Propagate and encourage people and businesses not to trade or consume snack products with unfamiliar labels or unclear origins.
In particular, schools need to coordinate with specialized agencies to organize activities to raise awareness and knowledge about nutrition and food safety so that young people can participate and know how to identify unsafe food and the health risks of consuming imported snacks that do not meet hygiene standards.
Parents need to be more proactive in guiding their children towards healthy eating habits, providing safe and nutritious meals, and limiting the indulgence of children into buying unhealthy snacks of unknown origin.
Hoai Nhung
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/nhieu-nguy-co-tu-do-an-vat-gan-mac-hang-noi-dia-194320.htm
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