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As of the afternoon of September 14th, nearly 100 diners had been poisoned after eating Phuong bread. Of these, 34 were foreign tourists. Authorities in Quang Nam are awaiting analysis of samples from the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang to determine the cause.
Originally just a street vendor's cart selling banh mi in the market, Phuong banh mi has become a famous culinary brand in Hoi An, developing for over 30 years and loved by many domestic and international tourists.
Phuong's banh mi business was fortunate to have "met" world-class chef Anthony Bourdain (USA).
In 2009, Anthony Bourdain and his television crew produced the show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" on the Travel Channel. During the nearly two-minute segment featuring Banh Mi Phuong, Anthony Bourdain called it "the best banh mi in the world."
Later, a South Korean television channel also chose Phuong bread shop as a filming location for a culinary exploration program.
The impact of these television programs has caused Banh Mi Phuong to experience a surge in growth, becoming a favorite culinary brand among many tourists. Tripadvisor.com, the world's largest travel platform with 490 million monthly users, has nearly 4,000 reviews about the experience and quality of Banh Mi Phuong, giving it a 4.5/5 rating...
Every day, Phuong's bread shop sells 1,000-2,000 loaves, priced from 20,000 to 35,000 VND per loaf. A monthly sales figure of 1 billion VND is a dream for many businesses. The development and prosperity of private businesses like Phuong's bread shop also significantly contributes to enhancing Hoi An's culinary scene and promoting the experiential tourism brand of the ancient town.
These values should be cherished, nurtured, and promoted. Businesses, the preventive health sector, the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries quality management agencies, and the Hoi An authorities should all take responsibility for tightening quality control, ensuring the best possible product quality; regularly inspecting and ensuring food safety would contribute to protecting this world-renowned brand.
At least 34 foreigners have been poisoned after eating Phuong bread in Hoi An, Quang Nam.
Knowing that food poisoning is unavoidable, no one wants it. It's like a traffic accident; it can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. But traffic laws also have many strict regulations regarding speed, technical aspects, vehicles, and human behavior in compliance with the law... The "world's best bread" must adhere even more strictly to regulations regarding product origin and quality, as well as safe storage, processing, and consumption procedures.
The food poisoning incident at Phuong's bakery directly harmed 100 customers, and of course, the primary and immediate responsibility lies with the shop owner. However, there is also a degree of irresponsibility and lax management on the part of the relevant authorities, including the health and tourism sectors, and even the government of Hoi An, Quang Nam.
The health damage suffered by these diners will soon heal, but tourists' trust and affection for Banh Mi Phuong in particular, and for Hoi An and Vietnamese street food in general, will be diminished.
Cuisine is a crucial component of the tourism economy, therefore, this incident serves as a wake-up call for the inspection, supervision, and management of food, especially specialty dishes served to tourists in cities and famous tourist destinations across the country.
