Authorities took action against 3,772 establishments, or 66.22 per cent of those found in violation, up sharply from a year earlier, Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said. Fines imposed on 3,571 businesses totalled more than VND 20.2 billion (USD 770,000).
Nearly 3,900 producers and traders of agricultural inputs and farm, forestry and fishery products were inspected, with 360 establishments fined more than VND 8.8 billion.
Market surveillance and industry officials handled 1,832 violations, issuing more than VND 13 billion in fines and removing 14,102 online shops and 3,798 listings linked to counterfeit health supplements, fake functional foods and substandard milk.
Police investigated 4,688 cases involving 4,795 organisations and individuals, up 102 per cent from the same period last year.
Despite stronger enforcement, the Health Ministry said food safety improvements remained fragile, while oversight of food sold online was hampered by difficulties identifying sellers and tracing product origins
Food poisoning incidents also increased during the period. The country recorded 58 outbreaks, affecting 1,573 people and causing 10 deaths, up by 23 cases from the first half of 2025. Twelve outbreaks occurred in school canteens.
Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra called for stricter action to prevent food poisoning in schools and crack down on counterfeit, imitation and substandard food products.
She instructed the Health Ministry to finalise revisions to the Food Safety Law and work with other ministries to develop a national food safety database linking production, distribution and consumption.
The Health Ministry will focus inspections on schools, street food vendors and small catering businesses in rural areas, while the Ministry of Public Security will step up investigations into food-related offences.
