Rusty homemade vehicles used to transport pork to southern Vietnam's market

As observed by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper reporter on Monday morning, a significant amount of pork was delivered for sale at the market in Phu Loi Ward on motorbikes fitted with homemade containers.

The containers were heavily rusted and blackened.

The pork was placed directly against the rusty metal frames, with the meat left uncovered and exposed to dust and the elements.

A vegetable vendor said the practice was common and had apparently been going on without attracting much attention or intervention.

Ut, who lives in Hung Phu Ward and runs a business in Phu Loi Ward, said she was shocked when she first went to the market and saw pork being transported in an uncovered, rust-covered container.

“This is a central market, so food safety and hygiene should be subject to stricter management and inspection,” she said.

Ngoc Thuy, a resident of Phu Loi Ward, said she had witnessed similar scenes several times.

In her view, when shopping at a market or eating at a restaurant, it is better not to see or know how the food is handled.

“Once you see it, you don’t feel like eating it anymore,” she said.

To protect her family’s health, Thuy said she takes extra care when preparing pork at home.

After washing it with clean water, she rinses it with salt water and then with warm water to remove dirt.

Authorities to coordinate inspections and take action

Under regulations, pork transported from slaughterhouses to markets must be carried in specialized vehicles, Lam Minh Hoang, head of Can Tho’s Sub-Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, said on the same day.

Hoang said slaughter inspection and control in the city was generally being carried out properly.

Most large pork vendors at Phu Loi Market have invested properly in their operations.

“Only some newly established households have yet to make the necessary basic investments,” Hoang said.

He said local authorities were primarily responsible for management and enforcement.

When receiving complaints or reports, the sub-department would establish an inspection team to investigate, he said.

A staff member of the Phu Loi Ward general services center also acknowledged that there are still a few vehicles with cargo boxes transporting pork into the market.

The official said the situation had been noted and that the center would soon coordinate with relevant authorities to inspect the vehicles and take appropriate action.