Suspected 'banh mi' poisoning cases in Vietnam’s Quang Ngai rise to 135

The patients are receiving treatment at six medical facilities, according to the Quang Ngai People’s Committee.

The provincial administration asked the Department of Health to mobilize resources to treat patients, coordinate the investigation, collect samples for testing, trace the origin of the food, and handle any violations in accordance with regulations.

Cam Thanh Ward authorities were asked to continue investigating the cause, inspect relevant food businesses, trace ingredient sources and recall or dispose of food suspected of causing the outbreak.

Commune-level authorities across the province were told to step up inspections of street food vendors, promptly identify and penalize violations, and prevent similar incidents.

Last Saturday, the Vietnam Food Safety Authority under the Ministry of Health ordered the Quang Ngai health department to address the suspected food poisoning incident, while urging anyone experiencing unusual symptoms after eating banh mi at the stall to seek medical care immediately.

Patients reported eating banh mi purchased from the Ba Duoc stall, operated by Nguyen Thi Thuy, on the sidewalk at 12 Duy Tan Street between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm last Friday.

Symptoms began around 3:00 pm the same day, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever.

According to Thuy, chili sauce, vegetables, sauces, and some fillings were prepared at her home at 275 Phan Boi Chau Street in Cam Thanh Ward.

Plain loaves of banh mi were also produced at the address under a registered household business named Ba Duoc Bakery, owned by Phan Tai Anh Tien.

The retail stall typically operated from around 5:00 am to 7:00 pm daily.

The ingredients reportedly included Vietnamese pork sausage purchased from the Pham Thi My Hanh household business; fresh chilies bought at a market; vegetables sourced from a person named Nghia at a wholesale produce market; seasonings and meat purchased at Quang Ngai Market; and shredded dried pork sourced from Ho Chi Minh City.

Thuy failed to provide documentation proving the legal origin and traceability of the ingredients at the time of the inspection.

Inspectors found poor hygiene conditions, including a kitchen entrance adjacent to a restroom.

Local authorities then sealed all remaining food samples at the stall and asked the business to suspend operations pending the official investigation findings.

The Quang Ngai Center for Disease Control collected 13 food samples and nine biological samples from patients for laboratory testing to determine the cause of the suspected outbreak.