Nineteen people, including many children, were hospitalized in Quang Ngai due to suspected food poisoning after consuming banh mi from a street cart. The Quang Ngai Department of Health reported the incident on the afternoon of 24/3, following an investigation by the Food Safety Sub-department and local authorities. The incident occurred on Van Tien Dung street, Tinh Khe commune, near the Regional General Clinic and the Son My Memorial Site.

A boy hospitalized at Quang Ngai Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital receives care from medical staff, morning 24/3. Photo: Thach Thao

Epidemiological reports indicate that patients purchased banh mi from a stall owned by Ms. Ai between 7h on 21/3 and 8h on 22/3. Around 15h on the same day, the first case exhibited symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and fever. Other cases subsequently showed similar symptoms and were rushed to emergency care. By 10h on 24/3, a total of 19 individuals had sought examination and treatment. Patients are currently in stable condition after receiving intensive treatment.

During an interview with the inspection team, Ms. Ai stated that she sells one banh mi cart daily from 6h to 9h. Her stall offers various fillings such as pork roll, shredded pork floss, butter (homemade from chicken eggs and soybean oil), braised chili sauce, coriander, braised pork, and pork meatballs. She confirmed that the pork roll was purchased from a facility near Go market (Truong Quang Trong ward), while the braised chili sauce and shredded pork floss were sourced from a vendor at Tinh Khe market. The remaining ingredients were prepared by her family in their home kitchen.

The owner also mentioned that some ingredients, including beef tendon sausage, pork roll, chili paste, and shredded pork floss, were bought, stored, and used over two to three days for gradual sale. However, at the time of inspection, the owner failed to present any documents related to business conditions or the origin and provenance of the ingredients. The preparation area was a family kitchen, and the food was then transported by a cart to the sales point, located about 80 m from the home.

The inspection team sealed all remaining food items and requested the stall to cease operations pending the conclusions of specialized agencies. The Provincial Center for Disease Control collected 4 food samples and 7 patient samples for testing to determine the cause of the outbreak.

Local health authorities recommend intensifying inspections of street food businesses, especially mobile banh mi stalls. They also advise the public to choose safe food to minimize the risk of poisoning.

By Pham Linh