Inspection finds produce and meat sold beside rubbish and wastewater at Ho Chi Minh City wholesale markets

Vegetables, meat and seafood are being sold beside rubbish, wastewater and mud at informal trading points around Ho Chi Minh City’s wholesale markets, according to Thanh Nien’s field observations. The conditions raise food-safety concerns before the goods reach consumers.

Along Quan Trong Linh Street near Binh Dien wholesale market, dozens of informal vendors set up tarpaulins and stalls on the road leading to the market entrance. Fresh food sits close to moving traffic as trucks enter and leave, while shoppers stop in the roadway to bargain, obstructing larger vehicles.

A similar situation exists near Thu Duc wholesale market, where a lane connecting the market with Provincial Road 43 has become an informal trading area. Fish, meat and other fresh goods are sold where wastewater regularly runs across the road. Water from stalls and melted ice is discharged directly onto the street, mixing with organic rubbish and mud and creating foul-smelling, damaged surfaces.

The company managing Thu Duc agricultural wholesale market acknowledged that goods sold in surrounding informal areas fall outside its control, including checks on food safety and origin. At Hoc Mon wholesale market, about 147 informal businesses reportedly operate around the market. Officials continue to remove or penalize vendors, but the stalls return once enforcement teams leave.