Vietnamese Police Seize Over 4 Tons Of Fake Coffee Products Made From Soybeans – CoffeeTalk

Police in Vietnam have initiated a criminal investigation into a warehouse suspected of manufacturing counterfeit coffee from soybeans, following a raid conducted in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The Ministry of Public Security reported the seizure of 4.1 tons of fraudulent coffee products and 3 tons of raw materials during this operation. Luong Viet Kiem, the warehouse owner, confessed to mixing soybeans and flavorings with real coffee beans to produce ground coffee destined for the local market.

The raid was prompted by previous findings when authorities inspected a truck carrying 1,056 bags of ground coffee weighing 528 kilograms, which lacked proper documentation. The investigation into the incident continues. According to Nguyen Quang Tho, a trader in the nearby province of Dak Lak, instances of fraudulent coffee are increasingly common, with counterfeit products often crafted from soybeans, corn, or both. Tho expressed concerns regarding the safety of consuming these fake coffee products, as they use cheaper ingredients compared to authentic coffee beans.

Coffee farmers in the Central Highlands are currently selling genuine coffee beans at prices ranging from 100,500 to 100,100 dong ($3.86) per kg, which is approximately three times the cost of soybeans. This situation echoes a previous incident in 2018, where five individuals were arrested for using battery chemicals to color waste coffee beans and misleadingly market them as black pepper.

Vietnam stands as the largest producer of Robusta coffee, known for its bitter flavor and predominantly used in instant coffee. The country exported 1.6 million tons of coffee valued at $8.9 billion last year, reflecting significant increases of 18.3% in volume and 58.8% in value according to government customs data, underscoring the importance of addressing issues like counterfeit products in the industry.

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