Production and trading of milk, western medicine, and functional foods: Need to be more tightly controlled

Long Binh Ward Police (Bien Hoa City) discovered a pharmacy warehouse without invoices or documents. Photo: Hong Nam

This raises the issue of needing to tighten the management of milk, western medicine, and functional foods from production to business.

Worried about fake milk and fake medicine

The Department of Investigation Police on Crimes of Corruption, Economy, and Smuggling under the Ministry of Public Security has just initiated another case of manufacturing and trading 100 tons of fake functional foods in Hanoi City. Regarding this case, the Department of Investigation Police on Crimes of Corruption, Economy, and Smuggling has initiated a case and temporarily detained 5 defendants on two charges: “Producing and trading in fake food products” and “Violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences”.

Working with the investigation agency, the subjects involved in the above case admitted that the actual product quality only reached a small part compared to the declared quality, especially in the ingredients that were not included in the main quality, only reaching 20-30%. The main production materials were imported from China, but when promoting to the market, the subjects deliberately announced that the materials were imported from the US and Europe to deceive consumers.

Be careful when buying online
Consumers need to be careful when buying online; be wary of “winged” advertisements on social networks; do not buy milk or medicine through unofficial information channels… When sick, you need to see a doctor to get a suitable prescription; buy medicine at reputable pharmacies…

Previously, in mid-April 2025, the Economic Police Department of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police had dismantled a large-scale nationwide counterfeit drug production and trading ring, arresting 14 subjects for the crime of manufacturing and trading counterfeit disease prevention and treatment drugs; confiscating tens of thousands of boxes of counterfeit drugs, production lines and machinery, along with many other pieces of evidence. Through the search, the police force seized 21 types of counterfeit drugs and drugs for treating bone and joint diseases.

In Dong Nai , on April 7, Long Binh Ward Police (Bien Hoa City) said that the unit had just inspected and discovered a house in Quarter 2A, Long Binh Ward used as a warehouse to store Western medicines and other products without invoices or documents. At the time of inspection, the homeowner had not provided invoices or documents proving the legal origin of the above medicines, and the business location was not licensed by the authorities.

Not only did the police destroy a ring of counterfeit western medicine and functional foods, they also discovered and destroyed the largest-ever ring of production, trade, and consumption of fake milk powder.

Specifically, on April 12, the Ministry of Public Security's Investigation Police Agency announced that it had dismantled a ring producing, trading, and consuming fake milk powder in extremely large quantities in Hanoi and neighboring provinces; at the same time, prosecuted and temporarily detained two masterminds of the ring and six other defendants for producing and trading fake food products and violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences.

Up to now, this fake milk powder production, trading and consumption chain has produced 573 brands of milk powder of all kinds for people with diabetes, kidney failure, premature babies, and pregnant women with ingredients declared on the products such as: bird's nest extract, cordyceps, macca powder, walnut powder... but in reality, there are absolutely no such substances.

The production and sale of fake milk and medicines of unknown origin is not only a violation of the law, causing costs for consumers, but also directly threatening public health, especially groups such as the elderly, children, pregnant women, patients, etc.

Ms. Vu Thi Thuy (residing in Tam Phuoc ward, Bien Hoa city) said that she often buys medicine for rheumatism and functional foods on social networking sites because she heard very good advertisements and fast pain relief, so she bought them to use, without knowing clearly about the origin of these medicines. She recommended that it is necessary to strengthen control solutions to prevent Western medicines and functional foods on the market, especially on cyberspace.

Tight control, prevent counterfeit goods from entering the market

Many opinions say that, in order to prevent counterfeit goods, including fake western medicine, fake functional foods, fake milk from entering the market, in the coming time, the authorities need to strengthen inspection, supervision, and strictly handle violations related to the production, purchase, sale, distribution, and advertising of counterfeit and poor quality goods, especially products that directly affect health such as milk, western medicine, functional foods; strengthen testing and traceability to promptly detect and destroy counterfeit production lines, protecting the rights and health of consumers.

In addition, to prevent fake drugs, fake functional foods or fake milk from entering hospitals, pharmacies and schools, the role of the heads of these units is very important. A principal of a private kindergarten located in Binh Da ward (Bien Hoa city) said that recently, many people came to sell milk to the school with a very high discount rate, up to 40%. However, these types of milk had very strange names and no brand, so she frankly refused and still decided to buy branded milk, choosing a reputable distributor to ensure food safety and health for students.

“In my opinion, milk is an important source of nutrition, supplementing substances such as iron, calcium, vitamin D, DHA… which are very good for children’s physical and intellectual development. If children drink fake milk, they risk lacking these substances, leading to underweight, malnutrition, and slow development, directly affecting the health of students, the future generation of the country,” the principal said.

Similarly, Ms. LM (owner of a pharmacy in Tan Hiep ward, Bien Hoa city) shared her experience in preventing counterfeit drugs from entering her pharmacy: pay attention to choosing reputable suppliers (large pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam) and sign long-term contracts. Goods imported into the pharmacy must have clear invoices and documents. Functional foods must have contracts and product declaration papers; advertisements must have a license from the Department of Health. "I say no to wholesale goods at the market; do not buy goods through a pharmacist who sells them haphazardly. All imported goods must have a known origin" - Ms. LM said.

In order to avoid buying fake and poor quality goods, many opinions say that each citizen needs to equip themselves with consumer knowledge in recognizing fake and poor quality goods to protect themselves and their families. Accordingly, it is necessary to buy goods at reputable places; choose reputable brands with clear origins; goods with stamps, labels, expiry dates, and barcodes are even better...

An An

Deputy Director of Health Department Nguyen Van Binh:
Tightly control the purchase and use of drugs in hospitals
The Department of Health has just issued a document strictly prohibiting drug trading and using establishments in the province from trading, distributing, and using 21 types of counterfeit drugs that the Department of Drug Administration (Ministry of Health) has warned about. Only buy and sell drugs at legal drug trading establishments; do not buy and sell drugs of unknown origin. When detecting counterfeit drugs, it is necessary to promptly report to the local health department and the Department of Health, phone number: 02513.840.654 or 0967891717 for inspection, verification, and tracing of origin.
Hospitals and medical examination and treatment facilities in the province must review the process of purchasing and supplying drugs and the drug supply situation in the past; ensure that the drugs supplied are licensed and supplied by legal pharmaceutical businesses, with full invoices and documents. In case of detecting drugs with suspicious signs, drugs that have not been licensed for circulation, immediately seal them, do not continue to use the drugs and report to the health management agency, competent authorities for inspection, verification and handling according to the provisions of law...
Hanh Dung (written)

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202505/san-xuat-kinh-doanh-sua-thuoc-tay-thuc-pham-chuc-nang-can-duoc-kiem-soat-chat-hon-cb30116/