A large-scale food poisoning outbreak occurred last Wednesday in Vung Tau City, in the south of Vietnam, linked to traditional Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches from a local bakery. Health authorities reported extensive patient hospitalizations and initiated a comprehensive investigation.
A total of 205 patients sought medical treatment after consuming banh mi from “C.B.” a bakery located on the city’s Nguyen An Ninh Street. Reports say that 170 patrons were treated at a local hospital and another 35 were treated at a different medical facility.
By 10:00 pm Wednesday evening, 53 patients with mild symptoms had been discharged and the remaining 117 victims continued receiving medical treatment. All affected individuals presented identical symptoms consistent with food poisoning, including stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.
Immediate measures were taken by local health authorities. The bakery was temporarily closed while investigators collected banh mi and other food samples for testing. Health workers have also initiated tracing the sources of the ingredients.
During an initial inspection, the bakery owner was not able to provide necessary documentation verifying ingredient origins. Authorities, including police and related agencies, are actively investigating the supply chain for bread, pork, and other ingredients in the sandwiches.
In a statement to local media, the owner expressed shock and apologized to victims, stating that her family has operated the bakery for over 40 years and that ingredients are always purchased daily from local markets. In addition, she said she had visited her hospitalized customers and partially covered some of the treatment costs.
This isn’t the first case of food poisoning outbreaks connected to banh mi sandwiches.
In August of this year, 149 people were poisoned in Dong Thap Province and in May 2024, 568 individuals were poisoned in Dong Nai Province, resulting in one child fatality. In September of last year, 313 victims, including 103 foreigners, were sickened in Hoi An, a city on Vietnam’s central coast
Commenting on this article, one national food poisoning lawyer said, “With comprehensive testing and analysis underway, local health agencies should be able to determine the specific cause of the mass illness and, hopefully, prevent a future outbreak at this particular business.”
