The information was given by Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - Vice Chairwoman of Hiep Phuoc commune (HCMC) at a regular press conference on the afternoon of January 29.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh said that on January 28, after receiving feedback on signs of food safety and hygiene violations in providing school meals at An Phuoc Thang SG Trading Co., Ltd. (Sago Food), the People's Committee of Hiep Phuoc commune directed the Department of Culture and Society to preside over and coordinate with functional units to review the feedback content, and at the same time requested the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety to intervene to inspect, verify and conduct an inspection on the same day.
Ms. Hanh affirmed that the use of expired food (if any) is a serious problem, directly affecting students' health and parents' trust, so violations will be strictly handled according to legal regulations if detected.
Ms. Hanh added that previously the Commune People's Committee also inspected this enterprise twice (calculated from July 1, 2025). In which, on October 17, 2025, the inspection team of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety inspected the establishment and did not detect violations at the time of inspection.
On January 9, 2026, the Commune People's Committee continued to coordinate with the Commune Police, the Economic Department and the Economic Police Department (Ho Chi Minh City Police) to inspect the compliance with environmental and food safety laws at enterprises. The inspection team took food samples and wastewater samples for analysis, and is currently awaiting conclusions from functional agencies.
At the time of inspection, representatives of An Phuoc Thang SG Trading Co., Ltd. presented the business registration certificate and the certificate of eligibility for food safety with valid validity.
The People's Committee of Hiep Phuoc commune will strengthen surprise inspections of school meal suppliers in the area, coordinate with schools to closely monitor the process of importing, processing, preserving and distributing food. The inspection results will be made public for parents and society to jointly supervise," Ms. Hanh said.
Previously, on January 28, An Phuoc Thang SG Trading Co., Ltd. (Sago Food) in Hiep Phuoc commune (formerly Nha Be district area) - a unit supplying meals and food to many schools in Ho Chi Minh City - was reflected on using expired meat in processing. This information has caused much concern in public opinion.
After this information, many schools using Sago Food company meals have announced a temporary suspension of cooperation, awaiting conclusions from functional agencies, and at the same time stopped organizing semi-boarding meals at schools.
