The post by a whistleblower on social media includes an image from March 26, 2022, at a CP-owned slaughterhouse in Hau Giang Province.
Several food retailers and supermarket chains in Vietnam have suspended sales of pork and processed meat products from CP Vietnam Corporation as authorities investigate allegations of selling contaminated meat.
The action follows the circulation of a whistleblower's complaint on social media. The complainant, a man claiming to be a former employee of the CP Fresh Shop in My Xuyen District, Soc Trang Province, alleged that diseased pork and chicken, exhibiting signs such as abscesses, pus, or foul odour, were sold to the public. He claimed that some infected pork was sold at discounted prices for sausage production. The post included images from March 26, 2022, at a CP-owned slaughterhouse in Hau Giang Province.
"Every day, the shop mixes in diseased pork and chicken, including foul-smelling meat, and instructs staff to sell it to consumers in Soc Trang," the man wrote on his social media account.
Responding to public concern, some food retailers and manufacturers using CP Vietnam products have announced temporary suspensions. A food store in Nam Dinh Province stopped selling CP products from May 30 until authorities issue an official conclusion. A bakery in Hanoi's Dong Da District also suspended two products containing CP sausages.
"We chose CP products based on their standardised production process and quality control, as they are widely distributed in major supermarket chains," the bakery said. "However, due to concerns related to customer health, we have decided to temporarily suspend these products pending official inspection results."
A representative from the Kingfoodmart supermarket chain stated that CP Vietnam's products do not represent a significant share of the chain's meat supply. The chain sources fresh pork from multiple suppliers, including Meat Master, HAGL's banana-fed pigs, and Vinh Tan chilled pork. All suppliers must maintain closed-loop farming systems and use refrigerated vehicles to ensure freshness.
Many social media users expressed concern and said they would stop buying CP meat products until an official resolution was reached. Some have switched to other pork brands.
On June 2, authorities in Hau Giang inspected two slaughterhouses operated by CP Vietnam, including the one mentioned in the whistleblower's photos.
At the inspection, Ha Huu Tam, a manager of the CP branch slaughterhouse in Hau Giang, said the controversial images were taken at the DN slaughterhouse and would be reported to veterinary officials.
"When we found a pig that appeared abnormal, it was destroyed on-site through boiling and then used as fish feed," Tam said.
Relevant authorities are continuing to investigate the case.
CP Vietnam was granted an investment licence in 1993 as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise. In 2008, it became a joint-stock company. According to Thailand's CP Foods' financial report, Vietnam was the company's largest overseas market in 2024, accounting for approximately 21 per cent of its total revenue, or 122 billion baht.