50 workers in Ho Chi Minh City suffer food poisoning symptoms after company lunch

Preliminary reports from the Dong Hung Thuan Ward People's Committee showed that 410 employees ate lunch at the company on Monday, after which 50 experienced nausea, stomach pain, facial rashes, and itching.

They were taken to several hospitals, including Trung My Tay General Hospital, which received 27 patients, as well as Tan Phu Regional Hospital, Tan Binh Regional Hospital, and Thanh Cong General Hospital.

By Tuesday morning, most patients had been discharged, with one pregnant worker remaining under observation in stable condition.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety confirmed it is working with local authorities to investigate and handle the incident.

This follows another major outbreak last week, where 299 people were hospitalized after eating banh mi from the 'Co B.' chain, which operates two branches on Nguyen Thai Son Street in Hanh Thong Ward and Le Quang Dinh Street in Binh Loi Trung Ward.

A report released on Tuesday by the city's Food Safety Department found that the 20-square-meter Nguyen Thai Son branch processed ingredients on-site, including chicken, mayonnaise, and pickles, while sourcing raw materials from multiple suppliers, some without invoices. The Le Quang Dinh branch was found to operate without a business license.

Officials described that outbreak as a large-scale case, noting difficulties tracking all patients due to community-wide exposure.

The municipal Department of Health confirmed that laboratory results from affected individuals were consistent with Salmonella bacterial infection.

The Vietnam Food Administration under the Ministry of Health has requested a full investigation and source tracing to identify contaminated food, collect samples for testing, and strictly penalize any food safety violations.

Those hospitals treating patients have been instructed to prioritize intensive care to safeguard public health.