No recall notice yet, some other products of Ha Long Canned Food are still on shelves
According to reporters' records on January 13, some product lines of Ha Long Canned Food Joint Stock Company still appear on shelves.
At a small grocery store (Cao Xanh ward, Ha Long), the line of canned ground pork products with suspected and required handling items such as Hai Phong light pole pate, spring rolls, special spring rolls, ground chicken, imported frozen chicken skin,... are still on sale.
The small trader of this grocery store said: "This product was originally selling well and was favored by many people. After the incident, the brand has not had a recall notice, so we have not removed the goods from the shelves.
For consumers - those directly affected - there are still many concerns while waiting for the official conclusion of functional agencies.
As a person who regularly uses canned food with an average frequency of 1 box/month, Ms. Le Phuong Anh (23 years old, Hanoi) expressed concern.
After this incident, I hope that management agencies need to strictly control the quality of raw materials right from the input, instead of letting products that have not been fully tested spread to the market and then handle them. At that time, the most risky people will still be consumers" - Ms. Phuong Anh said.
According to her, the incident shows that long-standing brand labels and reputation are no longer an absolute guarantee of quality. "If there are no strong enough and deterrent sanctions, production facilities will easily put profits above public health. For consumers, after this incident, the psychology of caution will certainly increase, even limiting the use of processed food, prioritizing self-cooking at home to ensure safety" - Ms. Phuong Anh expressed.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Hoang Danh Thai (24 years old, Hanoi) said that the nature of instant food is to serve convenience. Consumers may not expect too high nutritional value, but food safety is a "red limit" that cannot be violated.
Box businesses cautiously expand production
Not only affecting buyers, the incident also created significant consequences for businesses in the processed food industry. Ms. Ta Thi Bich Thuy - representative of a small-scale canned goods production facility in Hai Phong said that the plan to expand production to bring goods into the large supermarket system is being reconsidered.
In the context of consumer confidence in canned goods declining sharply, promoting production at this time is very risky. The case of Ha Long Canned Goods Joint Stock Company makes customers ask the question: If a large enterprise with a long tradition still makes mistakes, what will happen to small-scale establishments?" - Ms. Thuy analyzed.
According to the business representative, this is also a warning to the entire industry about the importance of input control. Ms. Thuy acknowledged: "Preparatives must be selected from reputable partners with strict control. Businesses cannot just depend on paperwork, but need quality control departments to operate substantively, independently, and with full authority.
Talking to Lao Dong, Ms. Vu Thi Thu Huyen - Director of MM Supermarket Thanh Xuan Center (Hanoi) - said that the QA department requested the centers to dismantle all products of Ha Long Canned Food Joint Stock Company, waiting for handling requests.
The supermarket system always maintains the QA department to control the quality of goods from the stage of importing goods to displaying for sale, fully complying with state-announced standards and legal regulations" - Ms. Huyen informed.
According to Ms. Huyen, the supplier selection criteria of MM Mega Market are strictly implemented, through many inspection and appraisal rounds. When risk signs are detected, the import department will work directly with the supplier to request verification and written explanation. At the same time, the independent QA department will issue warnings and request the centers to temporarily dismantle the goods to wait for handling directions.
For customers who have purchased products, if complaints arise, the system will implement a post-customs policy and refund for products that are still intact and have invoice documents" - Ms. Huyen informed.
Representatives of MM Supermarket Thanh Xuan (Hanoi) affirmed that during peak periods near the Lunar New Year, the system always sets a goal of stabilizing prices, ensuring supply, strictly controlling quality, in order to protect the rights and health of consumers.
