Vietnam’s distributors of Mead Johnson, Abbott and Dutch Lady announced this week that they plan to raise their milk prices by 7-10 percent, citing the weaker dong and higher wages.

Friesland Campina Vietnam, which produces Dutch Lady, said its powdered Dutch Lady Friso would be 10 percent more expensive while the liquid Friso would be 2 percent more costly.

Dairy retailers in HCMC said distributors had halted supplies recently. Some retailers have thus raised formula milk prices by 5 percent.

3A Pharmaceutical told Tuoi Tre on Saturday that milk import prices had been unchanged but distributors had to raise the prices as the central bank had devalued the dong by more than 5 percent against the dollar in November. The move saw the local currency immediately weaken to 18,500 per dollar.

Other distributors said the increase was to help raise pay higher wages to employees.

In related news, health inspectors in the Mekong Delta’s Tien Giang Province said HCMC-based formula milk producers were claiming that their products contained more protein than they actually do.

Growmilk products made by Vietnam-Australia Food Processor were found containing 3.97 percent protein while the label claimed 18 percent, said inspectors. They also said MilkTos produced by Vinacooking Ltd. contained 3.28 percent but the label said 33 percent, while Kinder produced by Golden Food Joint Stock Co. contained only 12.17 percent instead of the 18.45 percent advertised on the label.

Source: Tuoi Tre