Toxic ‘Tet’ kumquats highlight Vietnam’s pesticide problem


This picture taken on January 21, 2015 shows a farmer spraying pesticide on kumquat trees at a private garden in Van Giang district in the northern Vietnamese province of Hung Yen. -AFP

HANOI: At Lunar New Year, most Vietnamese families buy a kumquat tree -- a symbol of prosperity -- but where once its fruits were candied and enjoyed as a delicacy, now they are left uneaten as food safety scandals batter consumer confidence in local produce.

While communist Vietnam may not make as many global headlines for safety lapses as neighbouring China, the problems facing its consumers are similar -- and many of the harmful pesticides they fear most come from over the border.

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