Vietnam's Ministry of Health has ordered an investigation into a suspected food poisoning outbreak that left 84 people hospitalised after eating banh mi or Vietnamese sandwiches sold by a food outlet in Lam Dong Province.
On July 29, the ministry instructed the Lam Dong Department of Health to trace the origin of the food, collect food and clinical samples for laboratory testing, determine the cause of the outbreak and strictly deal with any violations of food safety regulations.
The ministry also directed hospitals and medical facilities to prioritise treatment and closely monitor patients. It urged anyone who had eaten baguettes from the outlet and developed symptoms of food poisoning to seek medical attention promptly.
Provincial health authorities were instructed to strengthen inspections of ingredient sourcing, food preparation, storage conditions and compliance with food sample retention requirements.
According to the investigation, residents purchased and consumed baguettes from a food outlet in Hai Ba Trung Hamlet, Nam Ban Lam Ha Commune, on the mornings of July 25 and July 26. Many later developed abdominal pain and vomiting and required emergency medical treatment.
By July 28, authorities had recorded 84 hospital admissions linked to the suspected outbreak.
Investigators have collected samples of grilled meat, pâté, egg sauce, meat sauce, Vietnamese pork sausage, cucumber and pickled radish from the outlet for laboratory analysis as they work to determine the source of the contamination.
