As Lao Dong reported, 4 companies in the "ecosystem" of fake milk production, including Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, have the same registered address in Hoa Binh City.
On April 21, speaking with Lao Dong, Ms. Bui Thu Hang - Director of the Department of Health of Hoa Binh province said: "Regarding product dossier procedures, organizations and individuals producing and trading food self-declare or register for product declaration in two forms: submit directly to the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene (DGS) of Hoa Binh with the self-declaration dossier or through the province's Administrative Procedure settlement system for the dossier registration for the declaration".
According to Ms. Hang, the Sub -Department is responsible for reviewing the validity of the records and publicizing the name of the business and product name on the website. With the product registration product, the unit also granted a receiving certificate, which clearly stated that the enterprise is fully responsible for the suitability of the product.
For the two international pharmaceutical joint stock companies Rance Pharma and Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company, Hoa Binh Food Safety and Hygiene Department affirmed that it only received and processed documents in accordance with regulations, not issuing any production licenses as widely spread by public opinion, Ms. Hang informed.
Regarding post-inspection activities, a content that is of particular interest to the public in this case, the Hoa Binh Department of Health said that in 2023 and early 2024, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene regularly conducted post-inspections of products circulating on the market.
However, no milk products of the two companies were found to be sold in Hoa Binh. These two enterprises also do not have stores introducing products in the area.
The Department of Health also acknowledged the difficulties in post-inspection work due to limited resources. "The limited budget, limited funding for sample purchases and testing make comprehensive inspection not feasible. With dairy products, the high cost of testing makes this even more difficult, Ms. Hang added.
In particular, according to the Department of Health, there are currently no specific regulations on the time or frequency of post-inspections, leading to businesses taking advantage of loopholes by announcing products, selling a shipment, then continuing to announce new products, making it difficult for authorities to keep up.
On April 16, 2025, the Director of the Hoa Binh Department of Health signed Decision No. 373/QD-SYT to establish an inspection team for state management work at the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene, focusing on products of Rance Pharma International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company and Hacofood Group Nutrition Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company.
"If violations are detected, we will handle them strictly and publicize the results to relevant units," the leader of this department emphasized.
Along with that, the Department of Health is coordinating with other authorities to continue to clarify the incident, ensure consumer rights and transparency in food safety management.
