Imported milk: Is it safe?

Currently, on many social networking groups for mothers in Ha Tinh , hand-carried milk is being advertised and traded vigorously. Sellers constantly make commitments such as: "American-Japanese standard milk", "genuine hand-carried", "original price, no intermediaries"... to attract consumers. These advertisements easily hit the psychology of a group of parents who prefer foreign goods.

Hand-carried milk is being sold widely on groups for mothers in Ha Tinh.

However, the development of the hand-carried milk market also comes with many shortcomings. Many parents often order through friends and acquaintances who sell online, without a specific business address, without issuing invoices or clear goods documents, but all based on trust.

“I ordered Meiji milk through a seller on Facebook, who introduced it as a hand-carried product from Japan, so I was very assured of its quality. I heard that this type of milk is trusted by many mothers, and also affirmed that it is a “genuine Japanese domestic product”, so I did not doubt it at all. However, when I received the product, the box was dented, and when I tried to scan the QR code on the box, no traceability information appeared, making me confused about the quality again”, Ms. NTH - residing in Thanh Sen ward shared.

Not only Ms. H., many other parents have also fallen into the situation of trusting when buying and then worrying when giving it to their children. "I bought hand-carried milk from an acquaintance on Facebook, hearing that it was a Japanese domestic product, so I felt secure letting my child use it. But after only a few days, my child had a mild allergy and had to take him to the doctor. That's when I started to doubt the origin of the milk and also realized that in addition to paying attention to the brand, I also had to see if the child's body was suitable for the milk's ingredients" - Ms. HTL (living in Thien Cam commune) shared.

On groups, sellers confirm the quality of hand-carried milk with commitments of "guaranteed quality".

Currently, the law does not have any specific regulations on the concept of “carry-on goods”. However, it can be understood that carry-on goods are goods purchased directly by individuals from abroad and brought back to Vietnam as personal luggage, mainly by air. These goods often come from tourists, flight attendants or relatives living abroad. However, because they do not go through official distribution channels, carry-on goods, including milk for young children, are not subject to inspection and supervision by authorities regarding quality, storage conditions or legality of the product.

One of the noticeable characteristics of hand-carried milk is that there is no Vietnamese sub-label. Although the packaging still shows information such as nutritional ingredients, instructions for use, safety warnings, etc., they are all in foreign languages, making it difficult for consumers to access and understand the product. In addition, important information such as the importer, distributor, or quality certification in Vietnam is not available. Some products also have unusual signs such as barcodes that are difficult to scan. The lack of transparency and control over storage and transportation conditions makes hand-carried milk a potentially risky item, especially for young children.

Consumers should choose reputable addresses, carefully review product information and origin before buying.

More dangerously, many types of hand-carried milk can be collected from floating sources, near-expiry date goods, and defective goods from liquidation warehouses abroad. Apart from trusting the seller, buyers have almost no information about the origin of the product distribution. Furthermore, when transported to Vietnam, there are products that do not ensure storage conditions, taking many days to reach consumers, so the quality of the milk can easily be affected without the user knowing.

It is worth mentioning that when an incident occurs, consumers have almost no basis to complain or have their rights protected because the product has no invoice or documents, no importer named as responsible, and is not under the management of domestic authorities. Many buyers fall into the situation of "losing money and suffering", but have to stay silent because they are afraid of trouble, or think "maybe because the baby is not suitable for the milk".

To ensure children's health, consumers should be careful when using imported milk.

“Seeing all my friends buying hand-carried milk, I also ordered it because I thought foreign products must be better. At that time, I didn’t think much about it, just believed the advertisements. Now, hearing a lot about fake and smuggled products, I’m starting to worry. If I accidentally buy low-quality milk, I don’t know who to ask, and I don’t dare let my child continue to use it, afraid it will affect his health,” said Ms. PNL, a resident of Tran Phu ward.

In the context of the market for hand-carried goods still having many loopholes and lacking strict control, consumers need to proactively raise their vigilance and change their shopping habits. Do not compromise the safety and long-term development of your children because of the foreign mentality. Instead, choose to buy milk at reputable establishments with clear business licenses, products of transparent origin, full Vietnamese sub-labels and, importantly, with accompanying invoices so that when necessary, you can trace, reflect and protect consumer rights legally.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/sua-ngoai-xach-tay-lieu-co-an-toan-post291820.html