While people are more worried about the flood of unsafe food, they often continue to indulge in unhygienic habits when it comes to street food, ignoring various latent health risks.

Simple greed has fuelled many people to use harmful chemicals in the production of food. There are stories of rice soaked in pesticides, huge amounts of antibiotic residue found in shrimp, fish and pork, chicken meat painted with varnish and beef pumped full of water to gain weight.

However, even against this well-publicised background, people have continued eating and drinking on the street.

Street food is one of Hanoi’s attractions. Despite knowing there are hygiene issues, many people still eat the capital city's specialties.

At a stall selling noodles with tofu and shrimp paste on Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, Hanoi

A food stall near drainage in Hanoi’s Old Quarter area

Food without any cover at Nha Xanh Market, Cau Giay District

Selling pork near a seriously-polluted canal at Tam Da Market, Tay Ho District

A food vendor sitting near a dumping ground

Dtinews/GD&XH