The finding was highlighted in the Vietnam Foodservice Market Report 2025 released by iPos.vn, based on surveys of 3,001 restaurant and café operators and more than 3,045 diners nationwide.

The report noted that 2025 saw a series of high-profile food safety incidents, significantly undermining consumer trust in Vietnam’s F&B services.

Among them, the case involving Ha Long Canfoco stood out as the most influential. Some 54.45 percent of respondents said the incident directly affected their decision to use related products. This figure is particularly striking given that canned goods are widely used across the F&B supply chain, from small eateries and cafés to large-scale restaurant brands.

“The incident occurred within a category of industrial-scale ingredients with broad distribution, meaning its impact extended beyond a single brand and spilled over into overall trust in processed foods used in the foodservice sector,” the report stated.

In addition, 41.77 percent of respondents pointed to a Streptococcus suis outbreak as a major concern, describing it as a “nightmare” for the central region’s market. The outbreak began to emerge in June and peaked in July and August 2025, leaving diners wary of pork and organ-based products.

“Many households in the central region completely avoided pork for four to six months, switching instead to beef for safety reasons. Restaurants relying on pork ingredients - such as bun bo Hue, com tam, and roasted pork dishes - were among the hardest hit,” the report noted.

Some restaurants reported revenue declines of up to 50 percent during the peak of the outbreak. At the same time, pork supply chains were disrupted, and vendors unable to verify product origins faced immediate rejection from customers unless proper documentation was provided.

Despite these challenges, the iPos report also revealed that 31.17 percent of diners said they were not affected by food safety concerns, even when aware of such issues. This suggests a degree of consumer optimism, as well as confidence in the maturation of Vietnam’s F&B market.

Following the food safety scandals of 2025, consumer trust is gradually being rebuilt through more tangible signals.

Foremost among these is clean, well-maintained dining spaces, cited by 69.62 percent of respondents. This is followed by consistently busy establishments at 55.99 percent, and visible certification or public disclosure of food safety compliance at 50.51 percent.

The data indicates that after recent shocks, consumers are no longer placing primary trust in advertising or subjective impressions. Instead, they are prioritizing immediately observable factors at the point of sale: whether the venue is clean, whether it attracts steady customer traffic, and whether food safety information is clearly displayed.

Looking ahead to 2026, the report forecasts that Vietnam’s F&B market will reach approximately 333,600 outlets, with total revenue expected to hit VND760 trillion (US$30 billion), maintaining a steady growth rate of around 4.6 percent.

This period is seen as a transition for the industry - from rapid, trend-driven expansion to more sustainable, quality-focused development. The wave of mass openings is giving way to business models that emphasize structured operations, cost control, and clearly established credibility.

Tran Chung