A number of primary and secondary schools in Ho Chi Minh City have suspended their lunch programs or switched suppliers after concerns emerged over food safety violations linked to Sago Food  -  a company that previously operated in the fuel trade sector.

On January 29, Ho Tan Minh, Chief of Staff at the HCMC Department of Education and Training, confirmed that the department would issue an official directive requiring schools to cease using products from An Phuoc Thang SG Trading Co., Ltd (Sago Food).

The move follows public reports and media investigations into Sago Food’s questionable hygiene standards, raising alarms over the safety of meals served to students. The company is now under investigation by local police and the city’s Food Safety Management Authority.

Schools take precautionary action

At least eight schools in Ho Chi Minh City have already suspended lunch services or changed their food providers. These include:

Tan Quy Primary School (Tan Hung Ward)
Nguyen Van Huong Primary School (Phu Thuan Ward)
Nguyen Van Tao Primary School (Hiep Phuoc Ward)
Dinh Bo Linh Primary School (Xom Chieu Ward)
Huynh Tan Phat Secondary School (Tan Thuan Ward)
Khanh Binh Secondary School (Chanh Hung Ward)
Pham Huu Lau Secondary School (Tan My Ward)
Hoa Hong Kindergarten (Phu Thuan Ward)

Minh urged school principals to closely coordinate with local authorities to assess conditions and formulate safe alternatives for mid-day meals. He also emphasized that even schools not working with Sago Food should tighten oversight over every stage of lunch preparation to ensure food safety and nutritional standards.

A fuel dealer turned food supplier

According to records from the HCMC Department of Finance, Sago Food was established in January 2022, with registered capital of USD 320,000 (8 billion VND). The company, located in Hiep Phuoc Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, lists Mai Thi Hong Van (born 1983) as its general director and legal representative. It reports a staff of just three people.

Notably, Sago Food only switched to the food service business in July 2024. Prior to that, its primary business was the wholesale trade of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels  -  specifically, industrial oils such as DO, KO, and FO-R. The change in business registration raises questions about the company’s readiness and qualifications to supply food, especially to schools.

Food safety inspections and certificate status

According to officials from Hiep Phuoc Commune, where Sago Food is headquartered, local authorities conducted three rounds of inspections under the city’s general food safety plan:

On October 17, 2025  -  no violations were recorded.
On January 9, 2025  -  results are still pending.
On January 28, 2025  -  launched immediately after media reports surfaced.

Sago Food currently holds a valid food safety certification issued on September 5, 2023, by the HCMC Food Safety Management Board. The certificate is effective for three years from the date of issuance.

However, officials have not confirmed whether the substandard food reported in the media actually reached school cafeterias or remained within the supplier’s own premises. That conclusion awaits the outcome of an ongoing investigation by law enforcement and food safety agencies.

Tran Chung & Le Huyen