The closure followed a video posted on Sept. 25 by a user named Trish, showing multiple insects crawling on food at the stall.
The user said they discovered the insects while buying food and wanted to raise concerns about hygiene there.
Insects are seen crawling on food at a stall in Ben Thanh Market in HCMC. Video by Trish
Tran Mai Vy, head of the market’s Trade and Service Department, said on Sept. 28 that the food at the stall had not been properly covered.
He said heavy rain around noon on Sept. 23 caused flooding throughout the market, allowing cockroaches and other insects to emerge from the drainage system.
“At that time, vendors were focused on dealing with leaks and flooding, so they were unable to address the food hygiene issue in time,” Vy said.
According to the market management board, the drainage system beneath Ben Thanh Market consists of large and small pipes connected to the external drainage network. During flooding, debris and insects can travel through the system into the market’s trading areas.
The market has a periodic cockroach extermination program, with the latest treatment carried out across the entire market on the evening of Sept. 15.
However, Vy said regular spraying cannot completely prevent insects from entering through the external sewer system during flooding.
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A corner of the food court in Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by Tuan Anh |
Built in 1912 and covering more than 13,000 square meters, Ben Thanh Market is a major tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City, particularly among international visitors.
Thousands of people visit the market each day to sightsee, shop and sample local food.
Concerns about food safety in Vietnam have been reported by tourists in recent times.
In March, a good luck (crab noodle soup) eatery on Hang Luoc Street in Hanoi was temporarily closed after a Chinese tourist criticized its hygiene in a widely shared social media post.
The shop reopened a couple of weeks later after making improvements and attracted large crowds of diners.