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Colonel Nguyen Minh Tuan, Director of Phu Tho Provincial Police, directly at the production site of Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. Photo: Police Source.

On April 26, Phu Tho Provincial Police reported that two days earlier, authorities had discovered and temporarily seized over 71,000 liters of cooking oil, approximately 40 tons of monosodium glutamate (MSG), 22 tons of seasoning powder, and 9 tons of flavored salt suspected of being counterfeit at Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd.

In addition, police also seized nearly 84 tons of various additives used in the production and repackaging of these food products, along with a large quantity of packaging materials, plastic containers, and a complete production and packaging line.

Previously, through reconnaissance and monitoring of local activities, the Economic Police Division of Phu Tho Provincial Police uncovered that Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. was engaged in the repackaging, division, and labeling of large quantities of MSG, cooking oil, seasoning powder, and flavored salt products showing signs of being counterfeit.

Under the direction of Colonel Nguyen Minh Tuan, the Investigation Police Agency quickly launched an investigation, arresting individuals involved for legal processing.

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Headquarters of Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. located in Thuy Van Industrial Zone, Viet Tri City (Phu Tho Province). Photo: Police.

At the police station, Nguyen Van Hung, Director of Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd., initially confessed that the company purchased MSG and cooking oil raw materials from Quang Thanh Trading Co., Ltd., located in Hoang Mai District, Hanoi.

The company then divided, repackaged, and placed the products into two types of branded packaging: “Boat Brand Monosodium Glutamate - Singapore Origin” and “Famimoto Monosodium Glutamate - Vietnam’s Leading Brand, Japanese Technology.”

For cooking oil, after purchase, the company transferred the oil into bottles and labeled them as “Boat Brand Premium Cooking Oil - Singapore Origin” and “Fami Gold Vegetable Oil - Produced from 100% Singapore-imported ingredients.”

Regarding materials used to produce “Hanoi Premium Flavored Salt” and “Bep Hong Viet Seasoning Powder,” Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. sourced ingredients from various suppliers, blended them according to specific ratios, and carried out processes such as granulation and drying before packing them into 400g bags for flavored salt and 5kg bags for seasoning powder. All products were self-declared by the company.

According to forensic assessment results from the Institute of Criminal Science under the Ministry of Public Security, the nutritional composition, ingredient ratios, and quality standards of the MSG, cooking oil, flavored salt, and seasoning powder produced and packaged by Famimoto Vietnam Co., Ltd. did not meet the specifications declared by the company or printed on the product labels.

The Investigation Police Agency of Phu Tho Provincial Police has drawn up a record of temporary seizure of all related goods and is continuing to expand the investigation.

Duc Hoang