VietNamNet Bridge – Imported fruit, which are advertised as clean and with no preservatives, have become the choice of the well-off people.

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This kind of fruit is advertised to be transported individually by air and which  customers can purchase online and get delivered to their homes.

Some sellers advertise online that their fruit are very safe and fresh because they are transported very fast by air. They also note that they import fruit from the same suppliers as top hotels in Vietnam like Metropole, Melia, etc.

With that origin, the price of imported fruit is also “special”. For instance, a kilo of cherries is VND470,000 ($23), kiwi – VND120,000 ($6), American grapes – VND170,000/kg ($8.5), American apples – VND155,000 ($8)/kg, Japanese apples – VND220,000 ($11)/kg, peach – VND280,000 ($14)/kg, Australian apples – VND120,000 ($6)/kg.

Though these fruit are very expensive, they sell like hot cakes. Customers sometimes have to wait several days to buy imported fruit. They are also considered luxurious gifts.

Customers have good reasons to choose imported fruit because they look nice and are delicious - but they are not sure whether the fruit are actually safe and really imported from the US or Australia.

“Sometimes I wonder about the origin of imported fruit because they are imported individually, how then do fruit shops have such large volumes for sale?. But they are really delicious and many people also buy them so I keep buying imported fruit,” said Nguyen Kim Chi, who buys imported fruit very often.

No control over individually imported fruit

This kind of fruit is expensive but if they are delicious and good for health, customers still buy them. However, the quality of individually imported fruit should be investigated because they are still fresh, even if put in freezers for several days.

the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety and Hygiene Agency, asked about the origin and quality of these products, say that journalists should ask local health inspectors where these products are sold. VietNamNet asked Hanoi health inspectors, who say only the Industry and Trade Department can answer the question.

The Industry and Trade Department once again told VietNamNet to ask the health or the agriculture department. The agriculture department again pointed to industry and trade department.

Since the question appears to be complicated, the Vietnamese Consumer Protection Association warns consumers to ask sellers about the origin and invoices of imported fruit. Food experts recommended consumers to soak fruits in bittern for 30 minutes.

Expensive food is safe?

Mr. Thang, who pays VND750,000 ($35) for a bowl of pho at a hotel restaurant in Hanoi, asked whether he believes in food safety at luxurious restaurants and of expensive food,  says: “I think that such restaurants have to ensure food safety to maintain their prestige and to keep customers. At least to my eyes, the food appears to be clean”.

The owners of some luxurious restaurants in Hanoi confirmed to VietNamNet that they imported food that meets international standards and the food is always checked by modern equipment to ensure its safety.

That’s the job of relevant agencies to check food safety at restaurants but it is clear that the trend of consuming high-class food has appeared  among the rich in Vietnam and some businessmen.

As Vietnam lacks measures to prevent unsafe food, the poor who can’t afford to buy safe but expensive food will suffer.

Cam Quyen