Banh mi

Mai Van Muoi, director of the Quang Nam Province Department of Health, said Thursday that of the 12 samples sent to Nha Trang Pasteur Institute, seven were found to have the two bacteria, both leading causes of food poisoning. But the department has yet to conclude if the bacteria were the main cause of the food poisoning suffered by the 150 diners, including 33 foreign tourists, last week. All have been discharged from hospital. Bacillus cereus was found in the samples of pork bologna while salmonella was found in char siu made from pork. Both were found in shumai and fresh vegetables. The bacteria cause high fever, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, and violent diarrhea. If not treated promptly, they could lead to dangerous complications and even death due to dehydration. Salmonella can survive in water for two to three weeks and in excrement for two to three months, but is destroyed within five minutes at 100 degrees Celsius or with common disinfectants. Bacillus … [Read more...] about Bacillus cereus, salmonella found in Hoi An food poisoning banh mi samples

The owner of Banh Mi Phuong, a well-known bakery in Hoi An, a tourist city in Quang Nam Province, issued a public apology following a mass food poisoning incident which began early last week and involved 141 victims as of Thursday last week. Truong Thi Phuong, the owner of the bakery, made the apology on her personal Facebook account as well as the on the bakery’s fan page. She wrote that the incident has affected the health, spirit, lives of customers. “We had shortcomings in controlling input materials as well as ensuring the quality [of products] before providing them to customers.” The bakery has been working with competent agencies and is waiting for test results of its food samples in order to identify the cause of the incident. It has also been adopting solutions to ease the consequences of the incident. Phuong also shared that representatives of the bakery have visited and spoken with victims who were admitted to local hospitals. The bakery will continue … [Read more...] about Owner of Hoi An bakery apologizes for mass food poisoning incident

The travel news site Reisereporter has just published an article that highlights some of the famous tourist destinations and landscapes in Vietnam, including Hanoi. In the article titled “Vietnam: You shouldn’t miss these sights”, www.reisereporter.de suggests tourists to visit some hidden "treasures" and undiscovered natural wonders in this wonderful country in the Southeast Asia region, in addition to popular tourist attractions. A Vietnamese girl in her charming ao dai (long dress) and non la (conical hat) walks through the Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Photo: Yeu Ha Noi According to Daniel Schramm, staff writer for www.reisereporter.de , Vietnam is a fascinating destination with a wide variety of sights and experiences. From historic cities like Hanoi and Hue to stunning natural landscapes like Halong Bay and Sapa to culinary adventures in street kitchens and markets, the country offers something for every taste. Vietnam's … [Read more...] about German press: Vietnam is a fascinating travel destination

"A scam is where you have no choice but to pay inflated prices. Nobody is forcing you to buy conical hats or pictures, if you don't think it is worth it then don't buy it." PhnomPenh "Many tourists are frugal and haggle VND5,000 on a VND25,000 banh mi for example. Stop being so cheap, especially when some get up at 4 a.m. to prepare ingredients and drive one hour to the city center to sell a few sandwiches in the searing downtown heat to help support their family. You're haggling over 20 cents with someone who earns $300 a month." kasperhenry "Why at all do you go to markets? Go to shopping malls with lower and fixed prices, air cons and no beggars and no lottery tickets sellers. Everything is cheaper there than on markets, with more comfy shopping experience. Also you can buy some wooden gifts at [...] normal shopping malls sometimes." Teal Burton "A vendor who is charging just around 8 euro for a souvenir does not earn enough to have a holiday overseas. I wonder why … [Read more...] about Tourists overcharged? It’s a two-way street

Gastrointestinal pathogens were found in most of the samples taken from Banh Mi Phuong, a bakery in Hoi An where over 140 victims suffered from food poisoning last week, according to the test results. The Nha Trang Pasteur Institute has sent the Quang Nam Department of Health the test results of 12 ingredient samples taken from Banh Mi Phuong, a famous banh mi stall in Hoi An, a famous tourism hub in the province. Banh mi is a Vietnamese baguette typically filled with cold meats, pâté, and vegetables, the provincial Department of Health told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday. Bacillus cereus, a spore forming bacterium producing toxins that cause vomiting and diarrhea, was detected in the stall’s pork bologna and Vietnamese meatballs. Meanwhile, Salmonella spp, a pathogen responsible for severe foodborne infections, was found in barbecue pork and Vietnamese meatballs, Mai Van Muoi, director of the department, said. The stall’s cucumber, lettuce, spring onion, and … [Read more...] about Harmful bacteria identified in Hoi An bakery food poisoning incident

Vietnam boasts a wide range of famous dishes such as pho (soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat – usually beef or chicken), banh mi (baguette filled with cold meats, pâté, and vegetables), and che (sweet dessert), with pho the top favorite of foodies, said Aoyagi Yoichiro, a member of Japan's House of Representatives. Falling in love with pho ' at first sight' two decades ago, the Japanese congressman since then has seen the bond between him and Vietnam grow through cultural exchanges. “Through these events, we hope that Vietnam and Japan will learn more about each other’s culture and tighten their bilateral ties,” Aoyagi told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper at the Japan Trend Festival held in Ho Chi Minh City last weekend that he served as head of the organizing board. Aoyagi first came to Vietnam in 2003 to attend the annual IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians. His first impression of this Southeast Asian country was that it looked … [Read more...] about Many Japanese approve of pho: Japanese congressman