In a coordinated raid on September 19, police and the Department of Market Surveillance inspected the production facility of Hida Food Joint Stock Company in Hoai Duc District, Hanoi.

At the site, workers were caught injecting chemical agents into frozen Indian buffalo meat to mimic the marbling of Wagyu beef. The final products were then packaged under the premium "Hidasan" label and distributed as high-grade imported beef.

Investigators confirmed that Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, General Director of Hida Food JSC, had conspired with Tran Hoang Phuoc, Director of SK Foods Vietnam, to carry out this operation.

Taking advantage of the high demand for Wagyu-style beef in Vietnam, the company imported frozen buffalo meat from India at a cost of around 120,000 VND/kg (approximately $4.90/kg), altered its appearance using fat-emulating chemical powder, and sold it as Wagyu beef for 400,000–600,000 VND/kg ($16.30–$24.50/kg).

From May 2024 until the bust, the group is believed to have distributed more than 14 tons of fake beef to major cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

During searches at storage facilities and production sites, authorities seized 65 tons of fake beef and buffalo meat, 17 tons of chemical powder used to create artificial fat marbling, and a full set of industrial equipment for processing counterfeit meat.

Testing by the National Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene revealed that 24 out of 29 samples labeled as “beef” were, in fact, buffalo meat. The chemical substances used to create the marbled fat are now under examination to determine their potential health risks.

From tap water to ‘Lavie’ bottled water

In a separate case, police raided an illegal bottled water facility in Phu Dong Commune, Gia Lam District, operated by Le Van Viet.

On October 2, officers discovered that Viet and his accomplices were using tap water to fill reused Lavie-branded bottles and selling them as genuine mineral water.

The operation used collected empty Lavie bottles, which were washed, filled with untreated tap water, sealed with shrink wrap, labeled, and sold for nearly 70,000 VND per 19-liter bottle ($2.90), while production costs were as low as 10,000 VND ($0.41) per unit.

From March to October 2025, the group produced and sold approximately 20,000 bottles of fake Lavie water across Hanoi.

Police seized more than 500 counterfeit bottles, sealing equipment, labels, chemicals used for cleaning, and other materials at the production site.

Legal action underway

Authorities have launched criminal proceedings in both cases. Four suspects in each operation have been arrested and charged with “Producing and trading counterfeit food and beverages” under Article 193 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.

These revelations have raised serious public health concerns and highlighted the growing sophistication of food fraud in Vietnam. Investigations into the chemical content of the fake meat and water are ongoing.

Tien Dung