How does fake milk harm health?

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Trong Hung, National Institute of Nutrition, said as above, adding that milk is a popular nutritional supplement, necessary for groups with special health care needs such as young children, the elderly, the sick, people with chronic diseases and pregnant women.

In terms of content, poor quality milk and fake milk do not guarantee to provide enough energy, vitamins and minerals as stated on the milk carton. According to Dr. Hung, long-term use can lead to nutritional deficiencies, affecting the developmental stages of young children. For malnourished children, children lacking essential nutrients or living dependent on milk for nutrition, the consequences are even more serious.

Milk using ingredients of unknown origin and uncontrolled additives poses many risks to users such as allergies, acute poisoning, and digestive disorders. In the long term, the body accumulates heavy metals, toxins, and affects endocrine and neurological development, especially in children.

Sharing the same opinion, Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine, said: "Consumers are mistaken about the nutritional content listed on fake milk packaging, so they do not supplement it from other food sources." As for pregnant women, according to Dr. Nguyen Thu Yen, Department of Nutrition, Duc Giang General Hospital, using fake milk can affect the health of the mother and fetus.

Nutritional deficiencies can cause pregnant women to feel tired, have cramps, muscle aches, numbness in the limbs, and weakness. The risk is more obvious for pregnant women in the first 3 months of pregnancy, which is the stage of severe nausea and poor appetite.

Inappropriate ingredients or contamination in fake milk can cause pregnant women to have digestive disorders and reduce the ability to absorb nutrients, even allergies and poisoning, Dr. Yen explained. Toxic additives, heavy metals, colorants or preservatives in milk exceeding the permitted level can lead to pregnancy complications.

The fetus needs essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, DHA provided by the mother's body for comprehensive development, especially the brain and skeletal system. Therefore, pregnant women who drink fake milk with nutritional deficiencies will affect the development of the fetus.

However, experts say it is very difficult to identify real milk and fake milk with the naked eye. Consumers should carefully read the information on the packaging and box, such as the product name, company name and address, contact phone number of the manufacturer; importer and distributor; expiry date; nutritional ingredients table of the product. If it is imported milk, it must have a secondary label in Vietnamese. Do not buy or use dairy products if the product packaging is printed smudged, not sharp; there are signs of erasure or the milk box is dented, the origin is unclear.

Prioritize buying milk brands that have been tested and licensed, reputable, long-standing brands. Be careful with hand-carried milk products, products with unclear origins.

In addition, family members need to monitor the child's reaction when drinking milk. If the child shows signs of diarrhea, vomiting, failure to gain weight or weight loss, immediately stop drinking the milk and take the child to see a doctor.

The Ministry of Public Security has prosecuted Hoang Manh Ha, Vu Manh Cuong, Dang Trung Kien (Director, Deputy Director, and shareholders of Rance Pharma and Hacofood Group) and four accomplices for producing and trading in counterfeit food products and violating accounting regulations, causing serious consequences. According to the investigation agency, since August 2021, Hoang Manh Ha and Vu Manh Cuong have contributed capital to establish Rance Pharma and Hacofood companies, then managed all activities from production, trading to consumption of 573 brands of fake milk powder for people with diabetes, kidney failure, premature babies, and pregnant women.