Vietnam seizes over 10 tonnes of buffalo meat sold as Japanese Wagyu beef

The Hanoi police department said on Tuesday that the accused had been charged and detained pending investigation for producing and selling counterfeit food products.

The four suspects were identified as Tran Hoang Phuoc, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Nguyen Thi Thuy Hoa, and Nguyen Thi Dung.

Phuoc, director of SK FOODS VIET NAM Co., admitted to contacting Thao from Hida Food Co. to fake the fat marbling, making the tripe resemble premium Wagyu beef.

According to investigators, Thao purchased low-quality buffalo meat imported from India for around VND120,000 (US$4.7) per kilogram.

Then, Thao used chemical injections to create marbling before packaging and labeling the products as Japanese Wagyu beef.

The fake Wagyu beef was sold on the market for VND400,000-600,000 ($15.2-22.7) per kilogram.

Investigations found that from May 2024 until their arrest, the accused churned out about 14 tonnes of fake beef from buffalo meat and distributed it in Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

On September 19, Hanoi police, together with market surveillance authorities, inspected Hida Company in Den Village, Hoai Duc Commune, where inspectors caught workers injecting chemicals into buffalo meat to transform it into beef products labeled under the Hidasan brand.

During the inspection, police seized 65 tonnes of buffalo meat and fake beef, along with equipment used for the illegal production process.

Authorities also confiscated 17 tonnes of powdered chemical substances used to create artificial marbling.

Test results from the National Institute for Food Control confirmed that 24 out of 29 beef samples contained buffalo DNA.

Police said the powdered chemical used in the process has been sent for further testing to determine whether it contains any toxins harmful to human health.