Op-ed: To make ‘banh mi’ safe, Vietnamese vendors must change

Editor’s note: This commentary was originally written in Vietnamese by Nguyen Phong Chau, a reader of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, on food safety risks associated with ‘banh mi’ and Vietnam’s street-food culture. The author argues that responsibility must shift toward vendors, with stronger oversight, supply-chain reforms and clearer accountability to protect public health.

It was translated into English and edited by Tuoi Tre News for clarity, consistency, and coherence.

Cheap, fast and filling, it is why millions of city residents start their mornings with ‘banh mi’ or solve lunch or afternoon hunger with a brief stop at a sidewalk stall.

Yet ‘banh mi’ is also among the foods most frequently linked to mass food poisoning.

The incident in late December, when many people were suspected of falling ill after eating banh mi in Ho Chi Minh City, prompting an urgent response from the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Food Administration, was hardly new.

What is troubling is that despite millions of ‘banh mi’ sold every day, ‘banh mi’ largely sits outside the reach of routine inspections.

Only when consequences emerge, with dozens or even hundreds of people hospitalized, do authorities begin tracing ingredients, taking samples and imposing penalties.

‘Banh mi’ filled with meat is particularly risky because of its ‘composite’ nature: bread, sausage, cold cuts, pâté, fresh herbs, pickles and rich sauces.

A single lapse in sourcing, preparation, storage or handling can allow bacteria to multiply.

One small mistake may not sicken a handful of people but can send hundreds to hospital within hours.

So how can ‘banh mi’ safety be better controlled?

If authorities continue trying to inspect tens of thousands of small vendors, they will remain stuck in reactive enforcement.

The approach needs to shift from ‘input control’ to ‘output control,’ as practiced in Japan.

There, regulators do not attempt to monitor every vegetable or cut of meat, but focus on the final product reaching consumers.

If food causes poisoning, the legal consequences are severe, including heavy fines, potential criminal liability and permanent bans from the food business.

In the short term, oversight should focus on larger ‘banh mi’ shops with signage and daily sales in the thousands.

Penalties must be strong enough to deter violations: not just fines, but long suspensions, mandatory compensation for medical costs, and criminal responsibility where serious harm occurs.

At the same time, authorities should develop a meaningful ‘food safety pass’ for ‘banh mi’ that is based on final product standards rather than being an empty formality.

Vendors that meet standards, undergo regular inspections and show a strong compliance record should display a clear safety label.

Customers could then easily see which stalls are safer and which carry higher risks.

The market would do the rest: responsible vendors would survive, while those who disregard public health would be pushed out.

Another under-discussed issue is the supply chain.

Street-side ‘banh mi’ cannot be safe if sausages, pâté and fresh herbs come from unregulated sources.

Policymakers should encourage the creation of ‘safe ingredient hubs’ that provide certified meats and pre-processed vegetables to small vendors at reasonable prices.

When sellers are no longer forced to rely on cheap, dirty and fast inputs, risks fall sharply.

‘Banh mi’ is a source of culinary pride for Vietnam, and for Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

But that pride is sustainable only if it goes hand in hand with safety.

A national staple cannot depend on luck, nor can regulators wait until hundreds are hospitalized before acting.

It is time for a new approach that is firmer, smarter and more proactive, so that every ‘banh mi’ is not only tasty and affordable but genuinely safe.

Consumers also have a role to play.

Where people choose to buy ‘banh mi,’ and whether they tolerate unhygienic stalls, amounts to a daily vote on food safety.

When society stops being lenient, vendors will have no choice but to change.