75 hospitalized after suspected ‘banh mi’ food poisoning in Vietnam’s Gia Lai

Ksor Hien, deputy director of the Gia Lai Department of Health, on Monday directed local hospitals to proactively admit, provide emergency treatment for, and care for patients affected by the suspected food poisoning incident.

The department instructed local hospitals to ensure adequate medical equipment, personnel, and medicine supplies to receive and treat patients.

Hospitals were also told to assess the patients’ conditions and classify cases immediately upon admission, while severe cases or those beyond local treatment capacity must be safely transferred to higher-level facilities.

The first case was recorded at 2:00 pm on May 22.

Authorities said the suspected source of poisoning was banh mi containing Vietnamese pork sausage, pork skin sausage, braised pork belly, pate, fresh egg-butter sauce, pickled vegetables, and coriander.

According to the owner of the L.H. bakery, the shop sold 200 banh mi on May 22, including 28 to a garment company on Dang Thai Thuyen Street.

Of the 75 patients linked to the incident, 12 are workers from the garment company.

The hospitalized patients included 46 admitted to Gia Lai Central General Hospital, seven to Hoa Binh General Hospital, and 14 to the Quy Nhon Medical Center, while several others were treated at other facilities.

Notably, the owner of the bakery, identified as N.D.H.L., was also among the patients.

Most patients are now in stable condition, with symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and headaches having significantly subsided. The patients are conscious and responsive, according to health officials.

Following the incident, the Gia Lai food safety agency dispatched a team to investigate the suspected poisoning case.

An inter-agency inspection team was also established to review food safety conditions at the bakery and coordinate with relevant units to determine the cause.