Not long ago, N suffered from malnutrition, but he is now an overweight, if not obese, boy.

Asked what the ‘secret’ of his impressive growth is, his mother said it is thanks to a new kind of powdered milk a friend of hers recommended.

The milk is called sua ky in Vietnamese, or “milk sold by kilogram”, as it is sold in 1-kg bag.

The powder is sold in plastic bags and tied with a rubber band. Vendors write simple descriptions like “nutritional”, “helps weight gain”, and “boosts height” on the bag using an ink brush.

The boy’s mother says it costs her only VND300,000 a month to feed her son, while the monthly milk expense for other mothers can be as high as VND3 million.

When an expensive, imported can of baby formula is beyond their budget, a number of mothers with shallow pockets have resorted to buying this type of milk, hoping it is as nutritious as advertised.

But what they may not know is the milk has an excessive amount of sugar and trans-fat, which are linked to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

No labels

It is not difficult for a Tuoi Tre correspondent to find this very product at three major markets in Ho Chi Minh City, namely Ba Chieu, Binh Tay, and Kim Bien.

At Ba Chieu Market, the powdered milk is available at nearly 30 stands. Except for the simple description written in ink by the vendor, there is no label on the product.

Thus, information about the milk’s origin, manufacturer, nutrition content, and expiration date is nowhere to be found.

Interestingly enough, while the products are all the same, they fetch various prices from only VND80,000 a kg to VND220,000 a kg, depending on the vendor.

Their origins vary, too. A trader first claimed it is “a product of the Health Ministry,” but later added that “an 18-kg batch of the product is imported from the US.”

Meanwhile, a neighboring vendor claimed the product is from New Zealand.

No matter the origin they claim, the vendors universally refuse to present the original package of the product, from which the milk powder is divided into 1-kg bags.

According to the vendors, the ‘miracle milk’ can be used to feed babies of all ages, from 3 - 4 months to 3 – 4 years.

The milk will help children gain weight, grow healthily, and will increase their height, they asserted.

Harmful to heart, kidney

A Tuoi Tre correspondent bought five types of the milk, categorized as “helps weight gain”, “boosts height”, and “nutritious” for children of 5 months, 1 year, and 4 years, and took samples to the Center of Analytical Services and Experimentation of HCMC for tests.

Test results from the samples do not have any legal implications, but rather are a warning to mothers who purchase this type of milk for their children.

The results are truly concerning.

Three of the samples sent for sugar and aflatoxin tests were found to contain 62 percent sugar. The remaining two samples were found to contain trans-fat.

Tran Thi Thu Tra, who teaches food chemistry at the HCMC University of Technology, said it is against the health ministry’s recommendations to feed children under 6 months milk that contains such a high level of sugar.

“Babies who drink too much sweet milk will suffer from a sugar surplus, which can lead to diabetes,” she warned.

“The immediate effect is that the kids’ premature kidneys will become weak from sugar digestion,” she added.

Meanwhile, health expert Tran Thi Thu Ha said trans-fat is very harmful as it may cause coronary heart disease or stroke.