Vietnam Revokes Press Cards of Reporters Involved in Fish Sauce Scandal

By KTT, December 6, 2016

Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has withdrawn press cards of a deputy editor-in-chief and an executive of the state-run Thanh Nien newspaper for their involvements in a series of postings related to fish sauce which is said to harm the century-long fish sauce making industry.

Under the decision signed by Minister Truong Minh Tuan on Dec 5, Deputy Editor-in-chief Dang Ngoc Hoa and General Secretary Vo Van Khoi were punished for their role in posting five articles, including “independent surveys” and “warnings” of toxic arsenic substance in fish sauce, from Oct 10-17.

The articles reported that the fish sauce which is made by traditional ways (fresh fish soused with salt for months in big jars or wood barrels) is unsafe for human health. Meanwhile, it hailed some products of Vietnam’s Masan Consumer Corporation.

After the posting, the Ministry of Health announced the results of 247 samples of fish sauce (both made in traditional and industrial ways), saying all of them contained no inorganic arsenic which harms people’s health.

On Oct 23, the Thanh Nien newspaper apologized audience for its series of articles that had contents which were “different from conclusion given by the Ministry of Health” and “subjective and lacking knowledge of arsenic in fish sauce.”

The news agency then removed all relating articles.

Authorities said the reports were misleading or incorrect because they failed to differentiate between highly toxic inorganic arsenic, and the less dangerous organic variety found commonly in seafood.

The punishments were issued in the context that Vietnam is making efforts to fight against frauds in food processing. Any activities relating to food safety or harming people’s health have caught public anger.