Imported meat with cheap price: Consumers suspect quality

Many origins, cheap price

According to the Customs Newspaper correspondent, many supermarkets are selling meat and imported fish from many countries such as America, Korea, Japan, and Australia. In particular, prices of imported meat and fish being sold on the market are often cheaper than many domestic items.

Specifically: Australian beef is being sold on a variety of markets such as: 170,000 VND / kg, thigh meat 280,000 VND / kg, fillet 355,000 VND / kg. For US beef: Meat of the neck (beef chuck) 144,000 VND / kg, bacon 119,000 VND / kg, buckle 132,000 VND - 152,000 VND / kg, ribs 277,000 VND / kg, ... Not only that, chicken thighs imported from America and Brazilian chicken legs are priced from 42,000 VND to 90,000 VND / kg ... For imported pork from Poland, USA, Spain ... with quite attractive prices. Specifically, the foot (pig’s trotter) was 37,000 VND / kg, the tail was 40,000 VND / kg, the meat was 59,000 VND / kg, the ribs 60,000 VND / kg, lean meat was only 69,000 VND / kg, these prices are half the price of domestic goods sold in markets and supermarkets.

Imported fish from Norway, Japan, Korea sold in the market are also competitively priced compared to domestic products. For example, in supermarkets Fivimart (Nhat Tan - Hanoi), Norwegian goby is 146,000 VND / kg, Norwegian salmon is about 133,000 VND / kg. Or at the Homefarm system - Fresh food, the price of three imported beef products, US beef brisket 179,000 VND / kg, Australian beef 229,000 VND / kg, US beef is 299,000 VND / kg.

Not only that, many imported food systems also offer promotions for imported meat and fish. Redfoods Joint Stock Company, for example, reducing from 11% to 26% for imported beef and Norwegian salmon. Many online meat importing systems offer a discount of 10-15% for customers who buy from 2kg or more.

Meanwhile, beef, pork and chicken sold in the markets in Hanoi are usually higher than the imported goods from 10,000 VND - 50,000 VND / kg. Beef is usually priced at 230,000 - 270,000 VND / kg, pork price is from 90,000 VND / 130,000 VND / kg, industrial chicken costs 70,000 VND / kg, industrial chicken wings are 90,000 VND / kg, and industrial chicken thighs are 95,000 VND / kg. In comparison, meat and fish prices are cheaper than domestic ones.

Still worried about the quality

Although imported meat and fish are competitive in price for domestic products, consumers have more choices. However, consumers are still concerned about the quality, as well as the origin of the products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (Northern Tu Liem, Hanoi) expressed concern as she often buys imported meat in the supermarket for processing. "My family often buys imported beef and fish for processing. In particular, stores, supermarkets have promotions, so I regularly buy large quantities of stock for the household to use gradually. I think the imported food ensures food safety, but I have heard information that meat from some countries are prohibited to be imported because of contamination, disease ... so worried," she said.

In general, beef, chicken ... these foreign products are now popular with domestic consumers, the reason is cheap price. However, now these items are not only sold in supermarkets, but are also widely advertised and available on social networks. Consequently, it is difficult for consumers to know the quality and shelf life of imported meat products. Also, with the long-term preservation of carbohydrates during road transportation, moreover mistakes of origin have occurred so much, which looses consumers’ belief.

According to the correspondent of the Customs Newspaper, prior to the time of information on swine fever in some countries including China, in some northern provinces such as Lang Son, Quang Ninh ..., customs forces, border guard, market management have detected and arrested nearly 10 cases of meat and chicken smuggled meat. For example, on 3/7, Lang Son Market Management in coordination with Dinh Lap district police (Lang Son) discovered two cars transporting 18 meat pigs, with the total weight of more than 3 tons illegally imported from the border of Bac Xa commune (Dinh Lap district) to other provinces for consumption.

Also in July, 2018, in the hilly area behind the duty free shop at Bac Luan border gate in Tran Phu Ward, Mong Cai, Quang Ninh, the Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Department discovered Nguyen Thi Huong, transporting goods without valid invoices and vouchers in the Mong Cai customs control area. Here, Customs forces seized 276 kg of illegally imported broilers from China. The Mong Cai Border Gate Customs Sub-Department has made a record on the custody of all the above-said material evidences and destroyed it strictly according to regulations.

Then, in mid-July, the Department of Customs Management Supervision - General Department of Customs announced a shipment of frozen chicken legs, originating from Poland, was imported to Vietnam through Hong Kong (China) market. Salmonella bacteria levels exceeded the European threshold. This shipment has returned to Hai Phong port but no company came to receive the goods.