The first group to arrive at the hospital around noon was a family: a couple and their child. The husband stated that the previous evening, he bought three mixed banh mi, priced at 25,000 VND each, from an unmarked shop at 13 Do Chieu. The family shared the meal. Late that night, he experienced severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. By this morning, his wife and child developed similar symptoms. Suspecting food poisoning, the entire family was admitted for emergency treatment.

The patient mentioned he regularly purchased banh mi from this shop and had never encountered any issues before. "Yesterday, when I bought it, the shop was not as crowded as usual", he reported.

Mr. Tho and his wife are being treated at Vung Tau General Hospital. Photo: Truong Ha

Another patient, Khong Xuan Tho, reported that he took his wife to buy banh mi at the same shop the previous evening. By early this morning, both he and his wife suffered from abdominal pain and diarrhea. After attempting self-treatment without improvement, they sought medical attention at the hospital.

A representative from Vung Tau General Hospital confirmed that by afternoon on the same day, six people had been hospitalized for treatment. The number of outpatients being examined and monitored is currently being compiled. On social media groups, many individuals have reported similar symptoms after consuming banh mi from an "unmarked shop".

The shop was previously located at the intersection of Do Chieu and Ly Thuong Kiet in Vung Tau ward. It was well-known among locals, operating in the mornings and evenings. Since early this year, the evening vendors relocated to 13 Do Chieu, opening from 16:30 to 21:00. Ingredients such as pate, meat, sausage, and sauce are prepared at their homes before being brought to the shop for sale.

The Vung Tau Ward People's Committee (UBND) has established an inspection team. They have collected food samples from the establishment to identify the cause of the suspected poisoning.

The banh mi shop where many people reported suspected poisoning after eating. Photo: Truong Ha

In recent days, several mass food poisoning incidents linked to banh mi have occurred in Southern provinces. On 1-2/3, 22 people in Ho Chi Minh City were suspected of poisoning after eating roasted pork banh mi. Last week, over 70 people were hospitalized with poisoning symptoms after consuming banh mi from the Hong Ngoc 12 establishment in Dong Thap. Authorities collected food samples for testing in both cases; the cause remains unknown.

Late last year, over 300 people in Ho Chi Minh City suffered poisoning after eating banh mi from Co Bich shops. The cause was identified as Salmonella bacteria contamination. In mid-December, over 200 people in Quang Ngai also experienced food poisoning after eating banh mi sold at a local chain, attributed to sausage and vegetables contaminated with the same agent.

Truong Ha