Unveiling the Mystery: The Thousands of Discarded Fish Sauce Bottles at a Company’s Headquarters in Quang Nam

As reported by Nguoi Lao Dong on the evening of June 18, residents of Phuoc Loc village, Tam Thai commune, Phu Ninh district, Quang Nam province, made a surprising discovery while passing by the Phu Ninh main canal: thousands of bottles of fish sauce and dipping sauce, with unclear origins, were piled up and abandoned in the bushes.

The Quang Nam Provincial Police, in collaboration with the Tam Thai Commune Police and the Market Management Team from the Department of Industry and Trade of Quang Nam province, promptly responded to the situation. They conducted an on-site inspection, seized the products, and transferred them to the Tam Thai Commune Police headquarters for further investigation and verification.

Upon examining the labels on the bottles, it was revealed that the products belonged to the Thanh Hoa Aquatic Processing Joint Stock Company, located at 149 Le Lai Street, Dong Son Ward, Thanh Hoa City. They were manufactured at the Hoa Loc Aquatic Processing Plant in Lot CN1, Hoa Loc Fisheries Cluster, Hoa Loc Commune, Hau Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province.

On June 20, following the address printed on the labels, reporters from Nguoi Lao Dong visited the aforementioned location. However, at number 149, there was no signage indicating the presence of the Thanh Hoa Aquatic Processing Joint Stock Company. Instead, there was only a signboard displaying the name of a different company. The entire front area of this address is now occupied by a two-story plastic goods store, while the inner premises are being transformed into a sports playground.

Notably, at number 151, adjacent to number 149, there is a large sign bearing the name of the Thanh Hoa Aquatic Processing Joint Stock Company, along with the prominent words “Nước mắm Thanh Hải.” In front of the building are several shelves, typically used for displaying and promoting products, but they were empty.

A woman from the house at number 151 shared that the company no longer operates there and has moved out. She added that they had only temporarily hung the company’s signboard.

The authorities of Dong Son Ward revealed that the Thanh Hoa Aquatic Processing Joint Stock Company had been granted a 50-year land lease by the Thanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee. However, the premises are now rented out to another entity, and no production or business activities related to fish sauce are currently taking place there.

Mr. Cao Van Cuong, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Thanh Hoa province, acknowledged the situation and shared that they have tasked the Quality Testing and Brand Development Division, under the department’s purview, with conducting an on-site inspection at the production facility.

“We have formed a team to visit the factory and assess the situation firsthand. As this is not an OCOP product, we cannot ascertain if it is genuine or counterfeit. We have dispatched a team to investigate, and we will provide detailed information once we receive their report,” Mr. Cuong affirmed.