Banh Mi Phuong, a well-known bakery in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province was levied a VND96 million (US$3,940) fine and a three-month suspension for their role in a food poisoning incident which involved over 300 customers in September.

Le Tri Thanh, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, on Tuesday signed a decision to sanction Banh Mi Phuong, situated at 02B Phan Chau Trinh Street in Minh An Ward, for causing the mass food poisoning.

The bakery committed five administrative violations, including the breaches of regulations relating to food inspection and storage; sanitary waste collection; food hygiene and safety; and food processing, sourcing, and sales processing.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, these violations contributed to the mass food poisoning incident.

In total, 313 customers reported suffering from food poisoning after eating banh mi at the bakery on September 11 and 12. They were all admitted to different hospitals in Quang Nam and neighboring Da Nang City.

The Hoi An administration suspended Banh Mi Phuong’s operations immediately following the incident and the local health center took food samples from the bakery for testing.

The bakery sold a total of 3,620 banh mi sandwiches on September 11 and 12 before its operations were suspended.

Tests conducted by the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute on several samples taken from Banh Mi Phuong showed that the barbecue pork used by the bakery on September 11 had been contaminated with Salmonella spp, a pathogen responsible for severe foodborne infections.

In addition, cucumber, lettuce, spring onion, and Vietnamese coriander used by the bakery on September 12 tested positive for Salmonella spp.

On September 21, Banh Mi Phuong issued a public apology to customers via the Facebook page of the bakery’s owner, as well as the on the establishment’s fan page.

Apart from being subject to the fine and suspension, the bakery was asked to cover all hospital fees for all customers who were admitted to hospitals, and for certain costs relating to testing food samples from the eatery.

Banh mi, a type of Vietnamese baguette typically filled with cold meats, pâté, and vegetables, is a popular dish in Vietnam.

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