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Police have indicted eight suspects in a ring that allegedly slaughtered and distributed pigs infected with African swine fever in Hanoi and several surrounding localities. Authorities said infected pigs were still processed and smuggled to wholesale markets and schools.
From the start of the year to date, investigators said the group identified had distributed about 3,600 African swine fever-infected pigs, equivalent to nearly 300 tons of meat. The meat was delivered to wholesale markets and informal markets, and was also sold to Cuong Phat Food Co., Ltd.
Cuong Phat Food Co., Ltd. then supplied food to a number of schools in Hanoi under meat-supply contracts with Hanoi Industrial Catering Services Joint Stock Company and other firms. Following the reports, many parents expressed concern about whether their children’s schools had meal contracts involving Hanoi Industrial Catering Services Joint Stock Company.
In response, Hanoi Industrial Catering Services Joint Stock Company said it is a legitimate business and described itself as a victim of fraudulent behavior in food supply.
The company stated that for pork, it uses meat from suppliers with clear provenance and compliant cold-chain arrangements, including MEATDELI HN - Hà Nam 2 and CP Vietnam – NM3 Hanoi Branch. It said these two suppliers account for more than 97% of its pork meat intake and are disclosed in all bidding and capability dossiers.
The company added that to meet demand for “fresh hot meat” from some customers—a requirement it described as part of a legitimate partner arrangement—it also brought in several secondary pork suppliers, including Cuong Phat.
Hanoi Industrial Catering Services Joint Stock Company said Cuong Phat provided full legal documentation and food-safety certificates issued by relevant authorities. The company said it conducted due diligence and then signed contracts, with the contract and supporting documents submitted to regulatory agencies and customers for evaluation.
“Cuong Phat provides full legal documentation and food-safety certificates issued by authorities, after which we conduct due diligence and sign contracts. The contract is submitted with documents to regulatory agencies and customers for evaluation,” the company said.
On procedures, the company said there was no deliberate intent and no aiding of wrongdoing, and that it carried out daily quality control of pork meat when purchasing from Cuong Phat.
“We placed trust in the partner based on legal documents, quality commitments, and the food-safety certification systems they presented. The claim that Cuong Phat acted irresponsibly, fraudulently, and violated the law in food supply is beyond what we expected,” the company added.
Hanoi Industrial Catering Services Joint Stock Company also said it has immediately terminated all transactions with Cuong Phat and is cooperating fully with interagency inspection teams by providing complete documents, vouchers, and quality-control records.
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