Exposing the Fake Egg Scandal: A Call for Action.

On May 22nd, the Vietnam Poultry Association, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), organized a conference on the sustainable value chain development of the Vietnamese poultry industry.

According to the Vietnam Poultry Association, in 2024, with a meat production of 2.4 million tons and over 2 billion eggs, the industry not only met domestic consumption demands but also exported to several countries and territories. The Vietnamese poultry farming industry is transitioning towards modernization and industrialization.

However, the industry faces significant challenges and difficulties.

The sector’s growth, especially in terms of production value, is showing a decreasing trend, and the industry is even facing a crisis.

This includes price and market crises, development model crises, and, more importantly, a crisis of confidence among businesses about an uncertain future.

Notably, recently, several social media networks spread misinformation about “fake chicken eggs” and “double-yolk chicken eggs.” This has caused confusion and concern among consumers and negatively impacted domestic poultry production and business.

At the conference, Mr. Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of MAE, requested the Livestock and Veterinary Bureau to send a document to the Ministry of Public Security, requesting an investigation and handling of the information spread on social media about fake eggs. He also emphasized the importance of coordinating with the police force to effectively control poultry smuggling.

“With a long border line and small-scale farming, if we cannot control diseases and smuggling, we will lose our market and hinder the development of the livestock industry,” the MAE leader noted.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thanh Son, Chairman of the Vietnam Poultry Association, some countries have experimented with producing artificial eggs using soybean derivatives, but the economic and nutritional efficiency is not high, and they are more expensive than real eggs on the market.

Regarding the information about fake eggs on social media, Mr. Son believes that it mainly involves injecting yolks and whites into real egg shells for clickbait purposes.

The Association has officially sent a document to the Ministry of Public Security and related agencies, requesting coordination and appropriate handling according to the law.

“The authorities need to promptly issue an official document confirming that there are no fake eggs in Vietnam and stop the spread of unfounded rumors that affect the industry,” Mr. Son stated.

Ms. Chu Thi Hong Thuy, CEO of Tafa Group, emphasized that the information about fake eggs seriously impacts production and business. Enterprises have invested hundreds of billions of dongs in farming systems, and fake eggs affect the entire market’s consumption and the reputation of the industry.

In light of this incident, Ms. Thuy stressed the need for Vietnam to improve the quality standards of domestic poultry eggs and build a reputable brand. This will assure consumers that Vietnamese chicken eggs are completely trustworthy and unaffected by false information.

“Egg producers need to collaborate to establish common standards, so consumers can be confident that products from association members are reliable and not affected by contradictory information,” Ms. Thuy added.