Ho Chi Minh City: 3 establishments in Binh Dong discovered soaking banana flowers with borax and bleach

Ho Chi Minh City police recently inspected and discovered 3 banana flower processing facilities in Ben Luc residential area (Binh Dong ward) soaking hundreds of kilograms of banana flowers with borax and bleach of unknown origin before selling them on the market.

Banana flower processing facility staff practice mixing chemicals into banana flower soaking water - Photo: Provided by the police

On July 6, the Economic Police Department of Ho Chi Minh City Police (PC03) said it had just inspected and discovered 3 establishments using borax and bleach to process banana flowers.

Accordingly, on the evening of June 26, inspection teams from PC03 simultaneously inspected 3 banana flower processing facilities in Ben Luc residential area (Binh Dong ward, Ho Chi Minh City, old district 8 area).

At the facility owned by Mr. NTL, the inspection team determined the processing procedure at the facility as follows: banana fibers are cut by machine from young banana flowers, then soaked in a 200-liter plastic water tank. The tank contains a white powder of unknown origin and expiration date with the purpose of removing latex and whitening the banana stems.

Each batch of banana flowers, about 30kg, is soaked three times in water mixed with an unlabeled white powder before being sold on the market.

During an on-site inspection, the task force discovered that Mr. L. had soaked 90kg of banana flowers in 3 plastic barrels and 3kg of unlabeled white powder.

Mr. L. admitted that the facility he owns is not registered for business and has not been granted a food safety certificate by the authorities.

The facility's operating hours were from about 7 p.m. the previous day to about 3 a.m. the following morning. Mr. L. purchased 35 kg of white powder in District 5 (old) on May 18 and used up 32 kg.

Mr. L. bought the banana flowers from traders at a price of 8,000 VND/kg, buying about 450kg per day. After preliminary processing, there were about 220kg of finished banana flower fibers, which Mr. L. gave to his wife to sell at a warehouse in Binh Dien market at a price ranging from 20,000 - 30,000 VND/kg.

Banana flowers are being soaked in chemicals.

At the facility owned by Mr. TKL, the team discovered Mr. L. and 2 employees soaking 59kg of banana flowers in 2 plastic barrels mixed with chemicals.

Mr. TKL stated that about a week before the inspection, he bought 10kg of borax to soak banana flowers in Kim Bien market. After buying it, Mr. L. used 7kg to soak the banana flowers.

As for bleach powder, Mr. TKL also bought it about a week ago, in a quantity of 10kg at a store on Hong Bang Street and has used it all up.

Chemicals seized at banana flower processing facility - Photo: Provided by police

Meanwhile, at CL Trading Development Company Limited (Mr. PNC, 45 years old, is the legal representative), the inspection team discovered that company employees were soaking 60kg of shredded banana flowers in two 50-liter plastic barrels mixed with chemicals (white bleaching powder called Sodium Metabisufite; alum; borax).

At the same time, 3 plastic bags containing a fine white powder weighing 2kg (labeled Sodium Metabisufite on the outside); 1 unlabeled plastic bag containing a powder suspected to be borax weighing 8.5kg and another plastic bag suspected to be alum weighing 10.1kg were discovered.

The inspection team temporarily detained 115.5 kg of banana flowers and a total of more than 16 kg of white crystals in powder and granular form.

Currently, PC03 Ho Chi Minh City Police is consolidating records and handling the above 3 establishments according to regulations.

Back to topic

PURE DAN THUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tp-hcm-phat-hien-3-co-so-o-binh-dong-ngam-hoa-chuoi-voi-han-the-chat-tay-trang-20250705151815556.htm