Correction of Inaccurate Information Regarding the Certificate of Analysis Provided to Cuong Phat Food Co., Ltd.

April 8, 2026

Incident Context

Recently, Cuong Phat Food Co., Ltd. was named in an illegal network involved in the slaughtering and distribution of nearly 300 tons of diseased pork across wholesale markets, traditional markets, commercial kitchens, and schools in Hanoi and neighboring provinces. Cuong Phat did not directly supply food to commercial kitchens, but acted as a wholesaler—purchasing meat from slaughterhouses and reselling it to distributors or catering and food processing companies.

While reporting on the document dossier Cuong Phat submitted to its clients—which included its business registration certificate, food safety eligibility certificate, meat preliminary processing condition documents, and personnel food safety training records—online news outlets also published the pork sample Certificate of Analysis issued by VNTEST.

Notably, several online news outlets quoted a portion of the VNTEST Certificate of Analysis alongside a Food Hygiene and Safety Certificate issued to Cuong Phat by the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, stating verbatim:

"At the same time, Cuong Phat Company presented a test result certificate issued by the VNTEST Institute for Quality Testing and Inspection (under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations). According to the certificate, the pork sample (received on April 25, 2025; testing period from April 25, 2025, to May 10, 2025) showed no microbiological criteria exceeding permissible thresholds, meeting the National Technical Regulation on Microbiological Contamination Limits in Food."

Regarding this reported information, VNTEST identified a significant inaccuracy in the media coverage. When measured against QCVN 8-3:2012/BYT (National Technical Regulation on Microbiological Contamination Limits in Food), the tested pork sample failed to meet the regulatory standard.

Correction of Inaccurate Information & Clarification of Facts

In light of the inaccurate media reports, VNTEST would like to clarify the facts to prevent further misunderstanding:

Scope of Results: The test results provided in VNTEST’s certificate apply solely to the specific tested sample submitted (a condition explicitly stated in the Terms & Conditions of VNTEST’s Certificate of Analysis).
Inaccurate Reporting: News outlets reported incomplete and incorrect findings. VNTEST's full Certificate of Analysis for the pork sample received on April 25, 2025 (tested from April 25, 2025 to May 10, 2025) indicates that Cuong Phat requested testing for three microbiological parameters. Among these, two parameters—"Total Aerobic Count" and "E. coli"—exceeded both the lower limit ($m$) and upper limit ($M$) specified under QCVN 8-3:2012/BYT.

Consequently, reporting that the sample "showed no microbiological criteria exceeding permissible thresholds, meeting the National Technical Regulation" is false, resulting from a failure to understand regulatory limits and drawing conclusions without referencing VNTEST's complete, unabridged test report.

VNTEST's Commitment

VNTEST regards this incident as a wake-up call for organizations and individuals operating in the food sector who intentionally trade in substandard, unsafe, or diseased food products destined for consumers.

VNTEST affirms that it strictly complies with professional and regulatory procedures during sample intake, testing, and reporting, aiming to protect consumer rights and enhance transparency in food testing activities.

We hope this information offers our readers, partners, and clients an objective perspective on recent events. VNTEST sincerely appreciates your support.