Potentially deadly hormone used to grow hundreds of tons of beansprouts in Vietnam

By Gia Chinh May 27, 2025 | 06:20 pm PT

Police officers inspect a facility where buckets containing chemically processed beansprouts are found in Lao Cai, northern Vietnam, May 23, 2025. Photo courtesy of the police

Vietnamese authorities have busted two factories accused of using a banned growth hormone to mass-produce beansprouts, raising fresh concerns over food safety.

In coordinated raids in the northern Lao Cai Province on May 23, provincial police seized over 870 buckets containing more than three tons of beansprouts from two separate facilities. The operators, 56-year-old Luu Van Ve and 55-year-old Ta Van Hai, admitted to soaking the beansprouts in benzyl adenine (6-BAP), a plant growth hormone banned in food production due to its severe health risks.

Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of benzyl adenine, which, if consumed regularly, can cause significant damage to vital organs including the liver, kidneys and lungs, and even potentially lead to death.

Ve's facility, operational since May 2024, reportedly produced and distributed approximately 180 tons of chemically-treated beansprouts. Hai's establishment similarly churned out around 168 tons annually, supplying markets and grocery stores across Lao Cai and surrounding regions.