Over 70 people have been hospitalized in Dong Thap province with suspected food poisoning after eating banh mi from the Hong Ngoc 12 establishment in Hong Ngu ward. As of 27/2, 10 patients have been discharged, while 68 continue to receive treatment, with their health reported as stable. Most are at Hong Ngu Regional General Hospital, with others at Dong Thap General Hospital and other facilities, according to the Food Safety Sub-department of the Dong Thap Department of Health.

The first three emergency cases were admitted to Hong Ngu Regional General Hospital on the morning of 24/2. Patients reported purchasing and eating banh mi from Hong Ngoc 12 on the evening of 23/2. Within hours, they developed severe abdominal pain around the navel, continuous vomiting, and diarrhea. The number of individuals exhibiting these symptoms quickly grew to 72, leading to 71 hospitalizations.

Following the reports, health authorities inspected the banh mi establishment. They seized five ingredient samples: liver pate, Vietnamese pork sausage, fried pork sausage, pickled vegetables, and ham. These samples have been sent to the Dong Thap Provincial Center for Research, Application and Scientific-Technological Services for testing. The results are currently pending.

Hong Ngoc is a banh mi brand with over 100 establishments across the Mekong Delta. In Dong Thap, it also operates in Cao Lanh and Sa Dec, in addition to Hong Ngu City. This is not the first incident for the Hong Ngoc 12 establishment. Two years ago, the same location in Hong Ngu City was linked to a similar suspected food poisoning case, affecting 148 people who experienced abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea after consuming banh mi sandwiches.

Nam An