Pedestrians walk by a bottled water cart in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. Poor hygiene conditions at production plants have led Hanoi and HCMC health officials to carry out inspections last month

Ho Chi Minh City health authorities Thursday temporarily shut down four more unhygienic bottled water companies, raising the total number of closures in the city to nine since the crackdown started in mid-February.

Operations were also halted at the Saigon Ben Thanh Company which produces Saigontourist brand bottled water in Tan Binh District; Hai Cuong Company which produces Havina brand in Go Vap District; and Nhu Hao Enterprise which produces Rivera brand in District 11. More than 23,300 liters of bottled water under the three brands were sealed off.

According to the latest report from the HCMC Preventive Health Center, 67 percent of the city’s bottled water plants failed hygiene inspections last year, while for ice-making plants, the proportion was over 61 percent.

Reported by Thanh Tung