Authorities in Da Lat, a popular tourist hub in Lam Dong Province of Vietnam's Central Highlands region, shut down two restaurants on Thursday for their usage of ingredients with unclear origins.

The People’s Committee of Da Lat suspended the operations and revoked the business licenses of two ‘Bo To Da Lat 118’ eateries at 118 Hung Vuong Street and 8 Da Chien Hill, Ward 11.

The city also fined Nguyen Thi Hau, the owner of the two eateries, VND24.5 million (US$1,034).

The two restaurants were found to have been violating food hygiene and safety regulations.        

During an inspection into five catering service providers in Da Lat on June 30, local police found that the two ‘Bo To Da Lat 118’ eateries were unable to present documents proving the origin of their stored beef.

At 8 Da Chien Hill, the inspection team found 97 kilograms of pork, worth about VND19 million ($802), with no identifiable origin. 

The Da Lat People’s Committee said it would force the owner of the restaurants to shut down the establishments if she refused to comply with the city’s decision.        

The city will also impose sanctions on Viet Ha Tay Nguyen One-Member Co. Ltd. and Milk Dinosaur Company, both headquartered at 46 Dinh Cong Trang in Ward 7, Da Lat City, and seven other eateries, which provided ingredients to restaurants in Da Lat and other localities, for violating food safety regulations.

Da Lat’s inspection team earlier examined a frozen meat storage facility owned by Viet Ha Tay Nguyen One-Member Co. Ltd. and found some 700 kilograms of pork breast, 270 kilograms of pork uterus, and other food with no origin documentation.

The city will continue strictly handling food safety violators in accordance with the law.

It requested enterprises and household businesses in the city commit to not using foodstuffs of unclear origin, said Dang Quang Tu, chairman of the Da Lat People’s Committee.

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