Back Society » Health » Hanoi Liquor Producer Closed, Staff Arrested After Deaths

Hanoi Liquor Producer Closed, Staff Arrested After Deaths

After 6 people died last week from drinking methanol-laced rice wine from a Hanoi liquor producer, the distillery has been closed and its director has been arrested:

“Provincial health authorities said samples in two of the four cases contained 2,000 times more methanol than allowed.

Fifteen people were hospitalized sick or unconscious after consuming Ruou nep 29 Ha Noi (Hanoi 29’s glutinous rice wine).

Following the findings, authorities seized 6,000 bottles of the liquor, according to the Vietnam Food Administration.

The city Department of Industry and Trade said they found excessive contents of methanol in Hanoi 29's glutinous rice wine, red wine, and vodka.”

Nguyen Duy Vuong, 46, director of the Hanoi 29 Import Export Joint-stock Company and distillers, Tran Xuan Manh, 30, and Dang Van Canh, 36, were arrested by police in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Tran Quang Trung, chief of the Vietnam Food Association, said that of Hanoi 29’s six alcoholic products, only one of them had been certified (and that certification expired last April).

This lack or regulation is a major problem for Vietnam’s beverage industry as only large produces are targeted for regular inspection:

“A representative of the Vietnam Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Association told Thanh Nien that alcoholic products are managed by four different agencies: the Department of Planning and Investment which issues their licenses, the Department of Industry and Trade which licenses alcohol production, the Department of Science and Technology which certifies labels, and the Department of Health which is in charge of quality.

Vietnam produces and consumes millions of liters of alcohol every year but authorities only supervise major producers since alcohol quality tests are expensive, he said.

Dr Nguyen Duy Thinh of the School of Biotechnology and Food Technology in Hanoi said the deaths could have been avoided if authorities properly oversee alcohol production and trade.”

Until Vietnam straightens out its consumer goods regulation practices (pipe dream?), many will probably do their best to avoid local brands.

Just don’t mess with our phở!

[Thanh Nien]

Related Articles

in Health

300 Years to Clean up 800,000 Tons of Unexploded Ordinance in Vietnam: Official

At a conference on unexploded ordnance in Vietnam, an official announced that it may take up to 300 years to clear the country of the deadly war remnants that are still inflicting casualties to this d...

in Health

40% Of Pregnancies In Vietnam End In Abortion: Report

Vietnam’s defunct but lingering family planning policies, poor sex education programs and easy access to clinics has resulted in one of the highest abortion rates in the world, according to a recent r...

in Health

4K Turkey Dash For the Orphans @ The Crescent

On November 17, come down to the Crescent to join Transcend People’s 4k Turkey Dash for the Orphans and Operation Smile in Vietnam.

in Health

66% of Covid-19 Cases in Hanoi Are Asymptomatic, Health Officials Say

Hanoi officials have warned of increased risk of Covid-19 outbreaks, as it was reported that 66.6% of confirmed cases in the capital were found to be asymptomatic.

in Health

7 Reasons Why Vietnamese Food is Good for You

While you may have to watch out where you’re buying your produce in Vietnam, the cuisine itself is about as healthy you can get. The Huffington Post recently talked to the Vietnamese owners of Pho, a ...

in Health

After 5 Years, Boy Finally Has Battery Removed from Nose

Doctors in central Vietnam treated a 10-year-old boy in Tam Tri Da Nang General Hospital earlier this week for emitting “unpleasant odors” from his nose, according to Tuoi Tre.

Partner Content