Police seize over 100 tonnes of fake cooking oil, seasoning in Vietnam’s Phu Tho

The also discovered that the company had sold 625 metric tons of counterfeit products to the market.

The raid and search took place on April 24 following reconnaissance and monitoring activities that revealed signs of counterfeit production at Famimoto, a single-member limited liability company established in 2019 in Viet Tri City, Phu Tho, the provincial police reported on Saturday.

Colonel Nguyen Minh Tuan, director of the Phu Tho police department, personally directed the operation at the scene.

During the search, police officers temporarily seized over 71,000 liters of cooking oil, approximately 40 tonnes of monosodium glutamate (MSG), 22 tonnes of seasoning powder, and nine tonnes of soup powder, all identified as fake.

In addition, nearly 84 tonnes of various additives used in the production and repackaging of these food products was confiscated, along with a large quantity of packaging materials, plastic containers, and a production and packaging line.

Initial investigations revealed that Famimoto had already distributed around 625 metric tons of counterfeit products, including 144 tonnes of cooking oil, 118 tonnes of seasoning powder, and 363 tonnes of seasoning granules, to the market.

These products were sold to canteens in industrial zones, posing potential health risks to workers.

Furthermore, authorities identified over 1,220 tonnes of MSG with labeling violations at the company's warehouse.

Nguyen Van Hung, the director and legal representative of the company, confessed that the firm purchased MSG and cooking oil raw materials from Quang Thanh Commercial Company Limited, located in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi.

The company later repackaged the MSG under two brands: 'Boat Brand - Singapore origin' and 'Famimoto - Vietnam's leading brand with Japanese technology.'

For cooking oil, the company bottled the purchased oil and labeled it as 'Boat Brand premium cooking oil - Singapore origin' and 'Fami Gold vegetable oil - made from 100% Singapore-imported ingredients.'

For the production of 'Hanoi premium soup powder' and 'Bep Hong Viet seasoning granules,' Famimoto sourced ingredients from various suppliers, blended them in specific ratios, processed them through granulation and drying, and packaged them into 400-gram bags for flavored salt and 5-kilogram bags for seasoning powder.

All these fake products were self-declared by the company.

According to forensic food testing results from the Institute of Criminal Science under the Ministry of Public Security, the components and nutritional values of the MSG, cooking oil, and seasoning products produced and packaged by Famimoto did not meet the standards declared by the company or those indicated on the product labels.

The investigation police agency of the Phu Tho police department is continuing to expand its investigation into the case.