Retailers turning their backs on Vedan items

August 29, 2010 | 10:01

(0) user say

Polluter Vedan Vietnam is in hot water with Ho Chi Minh City retailers which are refusing to accept its products.

While Vedan Vietnam faces a lawsuit from farmers from Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces for compensation due to pollution to the Thi Vai River, some southern hub major retailers are boycotting Vedan’s products.

Saigon Co.op and Big C last week said they had stopped buying and selling Vedan’s monosodium glutamate and dehydrated soup mixes.

Vedan products will no longer be a common sight on Ho Chi Minh City’s big shop shelves

“We have not had any Vedan products inside our supermarket since August 5, 2010,” said Big C spokeswoman Duong Thi Quynh Trang.

Saigon Co.op will keep the Taiwanese-invested company’s products off its shelves until the compensation case is resolved.

Meanwhile, Vinatex Mart business manager Nguyen Trung Truc said the supermarket had stopped trading Vedan’s products since August 6.

“Although Vedan’s products satisfy food hygiene and safety standards, they violate environmental regulations. We agree with the enlightened environmental policy of the government. Therefore, we cannot do business with enterprises that treacherously devastate the environment,” Truc said.

“At present, we are providing other products to replace Vedan’s for customers,” he added.

By Minh Thien

vir.com.vn

What the stars mean:

★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional