'3 no' animal organs flood the market, super cheap price

Cheap, obscure origin

According to the reporter of Cong Thuong Newspaper, from 5 am, the meat stalls at the Southern wholesale market (Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi) were bustling with activity. In one corner of the market, a row of frozen pork and chicken organs were displayed in large foam boxes, next to them were blocks of ice that were melting. No papers, no inspection, no guarantee are the words to describe this type of goods.

Ms. Le Thi Thu (Cau Giay District, Hanoi), owner of a small porridge shop, is choosing organs from a large bag and shares: “Buying this product is much cheaper. A kilo of frozen pig liver is only about 35,000 - 40,000 VND, while fresh liver in the traditional market is nearly 70,000 VND. I cook and sell it all day, so I don't worry too much about the quality.”

However, when asked about the origin, Ms. Thu admitted: “No one clearly says where they come from. But I always get the goods from long-time acquaintances. As long as they have no smell and are still fresh in color, I will take them.”

Eggs are packaged and boxed, ready to be delivered to wholesale customers. Photo: NVCC

Mr. Le Duc Tri, a vendor at this market for more than 10 years, revealed: “In the past, only people in the industry knew about this source of goods, but now it is popular. They collect goods from private cold storages, some even from the border. There was a good sale, one morning I sold nearly 200kg of liver, heart, gizzards of all kinds.”

Ms. Tran Kim Hanh (Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi) goes to the market every morning and shares: “I see many stalls with cheap organs but I don’t dare to buy them. The cold goods are left out in the sun and have a smell. I’m afraid, but seeing other people buy so much makes me hesitate.”

More worryingly, at some temporary markets in the suburbs of Hanoi such as Soc Son and Ba Vi districts, frozen organs are sold along the sidewalks, close to the sewers. Sellers use motorbikes to carry the whole container, open the lid to invite customers. Without documents, not properly preserved, but the price is 2-3 times cheaper than supermarkets, causing many people to buy because of "saving".

Type a message, organs come to the kitchen

Without leaving home, with just a few clicks, consumers can buy dozens of kilograms of frozen pork and chicken organs from Facebook groups such as “Wholesale frozen goods nationwide”, “Frugal cooking association”, or personal Zalo of the sources. Organs are offered in combo form, both wholesale and retail, and there is even a “2-hour express delivery” service.

Ms. DTD (Ha Dong District, Hanoi) said: “Every week I order 30 - 40kg of organs from a familiar source on Zalo. They deliver quickly, at low prices, and sometimes even give away promotional items. I use them to cook heart soup and liver porridge for workers' meals.”

According to Ms. D., the price of each kilogram of internal organs is only about 25,000 - 35,000 VND, half the price of fresh goods at the supermarket. However, when asked about the expiration date or quality control, she shook her head: "No. They said the goods were imported in containers and stored in cold storage. But each time the goods were received, they were packed in a styrofoam box, without any paperwork."

A contact named TMN sells goods via Facebook and Zalo, advertising: “Our products are imported organs from Brazil and Poland. We deliver wholesale nationwide, accepting orders of 20kg or more. No paperwork but quality guaranteed.”

This person also said that he could mix many types into a 50kg combo including pork liver, lungs, chicken intestines, beef heart... to deliver to restaurants in the suburbs. The goods were delivered by refrigerated trucks or passenger vans, sometimes by shippers on motorbikes.

Mr. Nguyen Van Truong, a freelance shipper, said: “Once I received an order of 60kg of pork intestines, delivered to a restaurant in Hanoi. They packed them in 4 foam boxes, with only ice cubes on top. It was so hot that when we got there, the ice had almost melted, the water leaked out, and it smelled very bad.”

Immature ova are being sold on social media platforms. Screenshot

Even more dangerous, some online market groups also sell pre-thawed organs, advertised as “pre-processed, just need to be cooked”. These products have absolutely no temperature control process, which can easily lead to bacterial contamination or the development of toxins.

In fact, from traditional markets to online markets, frozen pork and chicken organs of unknown origin are being consumed at a dizzying speed. Low prices are the “bait” that appeals to consumers’ thrifty mentality, especially in the context of escalating prices.

However, behind the convenience and super cheap price is a huge risk to food safety. Internal organs are the most perishable part, if not properly preserved and quality controlled, they can be dangerous pathogens, causing poisoning, diarrhea, and even long-term effects on the liver and kidneys.

Meanwhile, authorities are having difficulty controlling the “online market”. The sellers do not have fixed addresses, often change their phone numbers, and use private channels such as Zalo and Telegram to avoid being traced. Checking retail goods at traditional markets is also not easy due to lack of human resources and rapid testing facilities.

“We really hope that the authorities will tighten the import, inspection and distribution of this product. But the important thing is that consumers need to be alert. Cheap products are not necessarily safe,” said Ms. Tran Kim Hanh (Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi).

Recently, on May 5, Market Management Team No. 17 under the Hanoi Market Management Department coordinated with Team 7, Economic Police Department - Hanoi City Police to inspect a cold storage located in the premises of Duc Tan Saigon Company, address No. 1, km12, Ngoc Hoi Street, Thanh Tri, Hanoi.

At the time of inspection, the authorities discovered and temporarily detained 7,010 kg of animal organs including: immature eggs, chicken intestines, pig brains, etc. All of the above goods were food without valid invoices or documents, and could not prove their origin.

The total value of the infringing goods according to the listed price at the facility is 664,300,000 VND. Currently, Market Management Team No. 17 is coordinating with Team 7, Economic Police Department to continue verifying, completing the dossier and strictly handling in accordance with legal regulations.

Le Minh

Source: https://congthuong.vn/noi-tang-dong-vat-3-khong-tran-lan-thi-truong-gia-sieu-re-386987.html