An inspection of the Sanpan factory in Binh Tan District found four boxes of the Phosphates Mix additive imported from Thailand were past their expiry date.

Sanpan was also using the flavoring produced by the nearby Tan Huynh Mai Ltd., which carried no expiry date on the labels, the inspectors found.

They said that workers at the factory did not have regular check-ups, were not trained in cooking safety and hygiene and did not have adequate labor safety equipment.

During the inspection, Sanpan was also found selling 18 other products, eight of them with improper labeling and 10 from other firms that had been relabeled, but the company failed to produce trade contracts with those firms.

The city’s Health Department has suspended the factory and taken samples for testing.

Also on Thursday, inspectors found the Hong Ngoc Factory in the same district producing Chinese sausages with unclean equipment.

Chinese sausage is served in several rice dishes in Vietnam. Large quantities of the product are sold before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls mid-February next year, as people like to store dry foods for the holiday, or buy it for others as holiday gifts.

VietNamNet/VNA