A resident suffers food poisoning after eating 'banh mi' from Hong Ngoc 37 bakery in Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: M.T. / Tuoi Tre
Violations not serious enough for criminal prosecution
The announcement was made on Monday, with the penalty decision, signed by Huynh Minh Tuan, vice-chairman of the Dong Thap People's Committee, identifying two violations by the household business operating Hong Ngoc 37 bakery.
The business is owned by Nguyen Tan Tai and located at 62-64-64 Bis Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Dao Thanh Ward, Dong Thap.
The first violation was the failure to provide hygienic equipment for collecting and storing waste as required by regulations, for which the bakery was fined VND4 million ($152).
The second violation involved selling food that caused poisoning and affected the health of at least five people, but it did not reach the threshold for criminal prosecution.
The bakery was fined VND90 million ($3,430) for this violation.
According to the penalty decision, the bakery sold 'banh mi' with meat and various fillings and condiments from 7:00 am on June 15 to 8:00 pm on June 16.
The products included meat, pork meatballs, Vietnamese pork sausage, ham, sausages, pâté, butter, cucumbers, pickled vegetables, herbs, and sauce.
The incident affected 352 people, who suffered food poisoning and required emergency care and treatment between June 16 and July 3.
No deaths were reported.
The suspension period will begin on the date the bakery owner receives the penalty decision.
Ordered to cover nearly $41,800 in medical expenses
The penalty decision requires the household business to cover all costs related to handling the food poisoning incident, medical examinations, and treatment for the 352 affected people.
The total amount payable, according to the approved list, is about VND1.1 billion.
The business must make the payment within 30 days of receiving the decision.
The owner must also report the implementation results to the Dao Thanh Ward People's Committee for compilation and submission to the chairman of the provincial People's Committee.
The decision does not require the bakery to recall or destroy food products as part of this round of penalties.
The reason is that an inspection team from the Dao Thanh Ward food safety steering committee had inspected the premises on June 16, drawn up a record, and ordered the owner to destroy all remaining ingredients and food products used to prepare 'banh mi' with meat.
The owner complied with the destruction order at that time.
Hong Ngoc 37 bakery remains closed following the food poisoning incident. Photo: M.T. / Tuoi Tre
Earlier, on June 16, hospitals and medical facilities across Dong Thap Province began receiving patients who developed symptoms after eating 'banh mi' purchased from Hong Ngoc 37 bakery in Dao Thanh.
The reported symptoms included abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and fatigue.
By the end of June, the number of suspected food poisoning cases had reached 352.
Medical teams responded to the emergency by implementing multiple professional measures and coordinating across departments to ensure patients received timely treatment.
The measures were aimed at preventing patients' conditions from deteriorating and threatening their lives.
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