Couple In Vietnam Charged With Producing 20 Tons Of Dangerous Fake Coffee – CoffeeTalk

A couple in Central Highlands province, Dak Lak, have been charged with manufacturing fake coffee using roasted soybean powder, colouring agents, and flavor enhancers. Over 20 tonnes of the counterfeit product, primarily made from soybean powder and chemical additives, had already made its way to market before authorities intervened. The couple, Phan Danh Duong Bao and Ho Thuy Bich Dan, have been detained for “producing and trading counterfeit goods” in the form of ground coffee.

On May 22, the provincial economic police caught Bao and his son delivering 120kg of ground coffee packaged in unlabelled silver plastic bags to a woman in Thanh Cong Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City. After the seizure, police conducted an urgent search of the couple’s manufacturing site in Khanh Hoa, revealing various machines and equipment used to roast and package the counterfeit coffee, as well as two tonnes of raw materials, including soybeans, sugar, colouring agents, and flavourings.

Under questioning, the couple admitted to purchasing the machinery and ingredients to manufacture fake coffee, revealing that only 3 to 9kg of actual coffee beans were used per 100kg of product. From 2024 to the present, the couple allegedly produced more than 20 tonnes of fake ground coffee, distributing it to several provinces, including Binh Dinh, Lam Dong, and Dak Lak.

Police have warned that the counterfeit coffee, mainly composed of burnt soybeans mixed with colourants and flavoring agents, poses serious health risks, including irritate the digestive tract, damage the liver and kidneys, and increase the risk of cancer. Investigations into the case are ongoing.

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