Imported baby milk scandals worry Vietnamese mothers

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-3-15 17:15:04

A series of scandals involving imported baby milk were causing Vietnamese mothers to worry about quality of food products and children's health.

GmB goat milk, which is imported and distributed by Dai Hung Tinh Company, has recently come under local consumers' scrutiny for its dubious origins, Tuoitre (the Youth) daily reported on Thursday.

Dai Hung Tinh has been found to label false expiry dates for their products, and dupe consumers with misleading information about the milk's origin and manufacturer.

Even though the distributor claims it is a US-made product with Dutch origin, GmB goat milk is in fact produced and packed at a facility in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City.

Specifically, part of the milk powder Dai Hung Tinh imported from the Netherlands has an expiry date of March 16, and the other, May 7, while the canned GmB milk available in the Vietnamese market bears labels stating that the product is safe for consumption until 2014.

This means the expiry date of the products has been manipulated, which is a dishonest act for consumers, said the city's market management office.

The city's market management officers and police on Wednesday raided Dai Hung Tinh's headquarters and confiscated more than 200 cans of GmB milk at the facility.

Officers required Dai Hung Tinh to stop production pending a conclusion from the authorities.

Earlier in February, a mother in Tay Ho District in Vietnam's capital Hanoi exposed her suspicion about imported Danlait baby milk in online forum for young parents.

She said that her six-month-old baby started losing weight and experiencing slow teething after drinking Danlait goat milk for two months, reported Vietnamnet.

Her post immediately drew great attention and comments from other mothers nationwide, who say their kids also lost weight and had slow growth while using Danlait.

Danlait goat milk is imported in cans from France and distributed in Vietnam by Manh Cam Company.

While certified as a supplementary food, the product is marketed and sold as milk for babies in Vietnam.

Tran Dang, former head of HCM City's Food Administration, said that milk powder for babies should contain 34 percent of protein and 26-42 percent of fat, but Danlait milk has only 13-14 percent of protein.

So far, about 6,000 Danlait cans have been confiscated by the Hanoi market management agency for being labeled with inaccurate information.

In 2012, the value of imported milk products in Vietnam was 771. 5 million US dollars. According to statistics from General Department of Vietnam Customs, New Zealand, the United States, Germany, France and Thailand are major suppliers of dairy products in Vietnam.

Despite growing access to imported food products, Vietnamese people are being advised to become wiser consumers, particularly when they choose milk for their babies as milk was the primary food for babies under two years old. The mislabeling of these products could severely affect babies' health.

Posted in: Asia-Pacific

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