VietNamNet Bridge - Under current laws, dairy products and supplemental food for children are conditional goods items which must get approval from the Ministry of Health (MOH)  for advertisements in the media.

Supplemental food for children floods the market

However, the products are available everywhere, on social networks, YouTube and at private shops.

Kim Duyen’s shop on Ton Duc Thang street in Hanoi retails products from Australia and Germany.

When asked for products that help children’s immune system and height, Duyen recommended Sanostol syrup from Germany. A 460 ml bottle is priced at VND550,000.

Meanwhile, Hoang Anh, a distributor of German products on Nguyen Khang street, quoted the price of VND390,000 for the same product. 

Both Duyen and Anh said that the products are genuine as they were bought in Germany and shipped to Vietnam by air. Buyers can check the bar code on the product to find the origin.

Sanostol is not the only product which can help improve children’s height. Thu Hien, who distributes products sourced from the EU, suggested Wzrostan syrup made in Poland, which is sold at VND400,000 per 150 ml bottle.

Surprisingly, there is a big gap in prices quoted by Hien and Hoa, another distributor in Thanh Tri district in Hanoi. Hoa sells the product at VND250,000 only. However, both of them cannot show any document to prove the origin of the products, except verbal commitments.

The saleswoman of a shop on Thai Ha street strongly recommended using Mama Ramune which is believed to help improve children’s appetite and resistance. A box of 160 softgels costs VND350,000.

However, the saleswoman refused to provide the bill to prove that the product was bought in Japan. She said buyers just need to check code, stamps and expiry dates to feel secure about the quality of product, stressing that all Japanese products are safe.

The problem is that the market is not under the control of state management agencies. Sellers import products, advertise products and set prices themselves without having to ask for approval from agencies. No one can be sure about the real effects of the products they advertise.

Quynh Hoa, a parent in Cau Giay district in Hanoi, was surprised when she was advised to buy Baby Hanmi, a Korean ginseng product for her 4-year old son. Hoa finally decided not to buy it as she was not sure about its functions.

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