We cannot live in fear of what we eat forever

Authorities in recent times exposed many cases of dirty food production, from bean sprouts soaked in chemicals to banh mi poisoning incidents, and most recently the Halong Canfoco scandal that involves using diseased pigs for canned meat and pate production. I began to feel afraid of almost everything I ate.

What makes it worse is that once a problem appears, it becomes a chain reaction. The pate could be supplied to various sandwich shops, bean sprouts to dozens of eateries, so even the most familiar dishes can be affected.

Cold cuts, pate and fresh herbs are a banh mi shop in Vietnam. Photo by Quynh Mai

A colleague of mine has begun bringing home-cooked meals to work. They are supplied with eggs, vegetables, chicken, and fish from familiar farmers in their hometown.

I asked whether their family could really send food every week. They said no. They still go to the market to buy food for daily meals.

Much of our anxiety comes from the fact that we cannot see or control the whole food supply chain.

The sausage bought at the convenience store, the sandwich eaten in a rush each morning, the bowl of noodles at lunch, all of them may link to production stages that consumers have no way to control.

Even places that seem safer are not immune to this phenomenon. Shops with proper signs, clean-looking restaurants, and all packaged and labeled products can be affected if one link in the chain fails.

Consumers grow more cautious, read more news, and fear more. But there's little they can do. You can choose not to eat today, but what about tomorrow? Can you really spend your whole life rotating around a few "safe" home-cooked dishes?

In an urban life, that is almost impossible.

Many people say the problem lies with the ethics of producers and the conscience of sellers. But when profits stay thin, competition stays fierce, and clean ingredients cost far more than dirty ones, that ethics erode fast.

In a way, dirty food is not only a health issue but a matter of trust. It is the trust between sellers and buyers.

So what is the solution? I believe we need a control system that is more transparent. As individuals, we may not be able to fix the problem at its root. But we can start with small choices: Prioritize trusted sources and support businesses that operate with integrity.