Who is Responsible for the Nearly 3,000 Tons of Bean Sprouts Soaked in Banned Substances?

Regarding the case of nearly 3,000 tons of bean sprouts being distributed to the market, on December 29, a leader of the Market Management Department of Dak Lak province said that their unit mainly inspects administrative procedures such as business licenses, business conditions, and tax obligations to the state, among others.

Specifically, the department checks for business registration, business conditions, and tax compliance, to name a few. According to the leader, the Market Management Department is not responsible for inspecting product quality; that duty falls under the Management Board of Agricultural, Forestry, and Aquatic Product Quality, which is under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province.

Meanwhile, the Management Board of Agricultural, Forestry, and Aquatic Product Quality shared that out of the six bean sprout production facilities that were raided by the police, only the facility owned by Lam Dao had been granted a certificate of food safety and hygiene conditions by their board.

However, the board only granted the certificate for the processing, packaging, and trading of mung beans. The use of chemicals in the production process, which falls under the category of cultivation, was not under their management. On the other hand, the Plant Protection and Health Division (under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province) stated that they do not manage this aspect.

Currently, the Dak Lak Provincial Police are expanding their investigation into the case of nearly 3,000 tons of bean sprouts soaked in 6-Benzylaminopurine, a growth regulator commonly known as “candy water,” which were distributed to the market in 2024.

Previously, the Economic Police of the Dak Lak Provincial Police inspected six bean sprout production facilities in Buon Ma Thuot City, including two facilities owned by Lam Van Dao in Buon Ko Tam, Ea Tu Ward; two facilities owned by Vu Duy Tu, one facility owned by Nguyen Van Quynh, and one facility owned by Nguyen Van Hao, all residing in Tan Hoa Ward, Tan Hoa Ward.

The police discovered that all six facilities were using the growth regulator 6-Benzylaminopurine, commonly known as “candy water,” in the production of bean sprouts. This substance is banned from being used in food products, and consuming large amounts of it can be fatal.

At the time of the inspection, the police seized over 20 tons of bean sprouts that had been soaked in the banned substance and 135 liters of “candy water.”

According to the investigation, in 2024, the six facilities distributed approximately 2,900 tons of bean sprouts soaked in chemicals to the market.

The producers would often sell their products wholesale to traders at the Tan Hoa wholesale market in Buon Ma Thuot City.

The Economic Police of the Dak Lak Provincial Police have decided to prosecute four cases and arrest and detain four facility owners for violating regulations on food safety, as prescribed in Article 317 of the Penal Code.