The URC Vietnam Company in Hanoi was fined VND5.8 billion (US$ 259,144) for violating food safety and hygiene regulation, said the Ministry of Health’s Deputy Chief Inspector Nguyen Van Nhien on May 31.

URC Vietnam 's products has high level of lead.

Through testing, ministry inspectors announced that the beverage company’s products including lemon green tea manufactured on February 4, 2016 and expired on February 4, 2017, and energy drink manufactured on November 10, 2015 and expired on August 10, 2016 have both high level of lead.

Seriously, two more batches of soft drinks had been sold in the market collecting over VND3.87 billion (US$ 388,716).

Moreover, inspectors discovered while paying visit to the company’s warehouse that the company has not had measures to protect its products from harmful insects in accordance to the law. Additionally, the company has not also had a separated warehouse to keep spoiled products.

Due to such violations, inspectors decided to issue administrative fine of VND5.82 billion to the company. Along with fine, inspectors forced the company to have one more warehouse to contain spoiled products as well as take back two batches of contaminated products from the market.

The company must report the result to the Ministry before June 10.

SGGP