Vietnam authorities seize 10 tons of untraceable chicken from unsanitary Khanh Hoa facility

NHA TRANG, Vietnam – Police in Khanh Hoa province have seized 10 tons of undocumented poultry following a raid on an unlicensed processing facility that authorities say operated under severe health and environmental violations.

Economic police announced Sunday they are moving forward with a case against the facility's owner, identified as T.V.D., after a surprise inspection on Jan. 26. Investigators discovered poultry being slaughtered and processed in unsanitary conditions at the site in Nha Trang.

During the raid, officers found the facility lacked a valid food safety certificate and did not follow mandatory production protocols. Authorities also documented the business discharging untreated wastewater directly into the environment.

Inside two cold storage units, police discovered approximately 10 tons of chicken and poultry products. The majority of the meat was found without labels, proper packaging, or any documentation proving its origin.

The owner failed to provide any legal records related to the business's operations, environmental compliance, or quarantine inspections.

Authorities have confiscated the entire 10-ton haul as they continue their investigation. The crackdown comes as local officials ramp up food safety enforcement across the region ahead of the 2026 Lunar New Year.

The seizure of 10 metric tons of untraceable poultry in Khanh Hoa province is more than a localized enforcement action; it is a stark indictment of Vietnam’s systemic gaps in food safety oversight. Coming at the height of the Lunar New Year demand surge, the scale of the operation suggests this was not a rogue retailer, but rather a critical node in an expansive illicit supply chain servicing regional restaurants and markets.

The breadth of infractions linked to the facility—spanning food safety, environmental protection, and labor codes—points to a systemic disregard for the rule of law. Such operations rarely exist in a vacuum; they thrive in the absence of consistent, day-to-day regulatory supervision. While Hanoi’s periodic “seasonal crackdowns” are necessary, they frequently highlight the inefficiency of the broader inspection framework. This reactive approach creates a predictable cycle: illicit operators treat administrative fines as a cost of doing business, resuming activities once the political pressure of the holiday season dissipates.

The most pressing concern remains the opaque origin of the seized goods. The trade in “dirty food” is not merely a hygiene issue; it represents a significant biosecurity risk, potentially involving smuggled livestock, unchecked pathogens, or the use of prohibited growth stimulants. For a government that has spent years attempting to modernize its domestic food market and bolster public trust, this incident underscores the limited efficacy of existing policy interventions. Until enforcement shifts from seasonal optics to institutionalized transparency, consumer confidence in Vietnam’s domestic supply chain will remain compromised.

For many Vietnamese Americans, reports of food safety scandals in Vietnam—especially during the lead-up to Tết—fuel deep concerns regarding the health of family members back home. It has become a frequent topic of conversation throughout the community, often prompting families to send extra remittances. These transfers typically come with a familiar plea: be cautious when shopping or eating out, and prioritize buying from trusted, high-quality sources.