Bac Ninh Provincial Police have prosecuted and detained Chu Trong Han, Le Thi Hoan and Than Van Truong on charges of violating food safety regulations.
The arrests followed an inspection on April 23 conducted by police in coordination with relevant authorities, which uncovered three bean sprout production facilities suspected of using the chemical 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BAP).
According to investigators, 6-BAP is not included in Vietnam's list of substances permitted for use in food production and processing. Authorities warned that consumption of products containing the chemical could pose serious health risks.
During the inspection, officials seized more than 6.39 tonnes of finished and partially processed bean sprouts stored in 971 plastic containers.
Bean sprout production workshop (Photo: Ministry of Public Security).
The suspects reportedly admitted using 6-BAP to stimulate rapid growth and produce bean sprouts with a more attractive appearance, fewer roots and a longer shelf life.
Police said that from 2024 until the operation was uncovered, the three facilities had produced and distributed nearly 1,000 tonnes of chemically treated bean sprouts to the market.
The case remains under investigation.
