"Over 300 Food Poisoning Cases and 1 Death After Eating Street Vendor Banh Mi in Vietnam"

Authorities Investigate Stores to Trace Causes
Recent Large-Scale Food Poisoning Incidents Continue

Over 300 customers who bought Vietnamese sandwiches Banh Mi from street vendors in Vietnam showed symptoms of food poisoning, resulting in one death.

Vietnamese sandwich Banh Mi. The photo is not directly related to the content of the article. Photo by Getty Images

On the 29th, local media VN Express reported that a 71-year-old man who bought a Vietnamese sandwich in Vung Tau City, southern Vietnam, on the morning of the 27th died the next day. The man was hospitalized after showing symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea after eating the Banh Mi, and his condition worsened around 9:30 PM on the 28th, leading to his death. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with severe gastrointestinal infection, acute kidney injury, and suspected food poisoning. However, it is known that he had undergone aortic valve replacement surgery four years ago and had underlying conditions such as hypertension, and the exact cause of death has not yet been determined. The hospital has formed an expert committee to investigate the cause of death.

Not only this man, but over 300 people who recently bought Banh Mi from a store in Vung Tau also visited hospitals with suspected food poisoning symptoms. The media reported that as of 3 PM that day, 124 people were receiving hospital treatment. Authorities are inspecting the Banh Mi sold at this store and tracing the sources of the ingredients.

Authorities investigating a banh mi shop where a large-scale food poisoning incident occurred. Screenshot from VN Express website

The store decided to suspend operations during the investigation period. The store explained that it had been selling 600 to 700 Banh Mi sandwiches daily.

However, not only this store but also large-scale food poisoning incidents have been occurring recently across Vietnam. In May, 351 employees at the Vietnamese branch of the Korean fashion company Shinwon were hospitalized for food poisoning. In April, 568 people who ate Banh Mi at a restaurant in Dong Nai Province in the south were hospitalized with food poisoning symptoms. Among them, 12 were in critical condition, and a 6-year-old boy fell into a coma and received artificial respiration and dialysis treatment.