The Vietnamese Dairy Association has issued a document rejecting the recently-spread rumor that certain milk products containing live leeches are being sold in the country. The rumor began after some social networks and online forums discussed the alleged information that Chinese traders had split leeches bought from Vietnam into small pieces and put them into milk and other foods. Milk products in some areas were reportedly found to contain strange objects, but tests conducted by the diary association found no unusual creatures. It is, however, true that Chinese traders used to buy a large amount of leeches from local farmers. They set up facilities in Vietnam and hired local farmers to hunt, clean, and freeze the creatures before transporting them back to China. Locals said they had no idea why leeches became such a sought-after item. The leech-in-milk rumor is seen as a dangerous threat to the local economy and social order. “The rumor has panicked local consumers, and will even affect the business of dairy producers once it spreads further,” the association said. A chief official from a dairy manufacturer said leeches cannot stay alive in such an environment as milk. “Moreover, all production lines have met strict standards about food safety and hygiene, so it’s impossible for the milk to be tainted with the bloodsuckers,” he said.
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