Just take a walk around any neighborhood—downtown or in the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)—and if someone tried to count all the coffee-selling spots, they would quickly lose track.
Vietnam’s coffee market boasts a lineup of both domestic and international brands: Trung Nguyên, Highlands, Phúc Long, Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Milano, and many others.
However, beyond these established names, countless unbranded coffee stalls have sprung up like mushrooms after rain: street coffee vendors, “cà phê cóc” (sidewalk coffee), football-viewing coffee stands, internet cafés, takeaway coffee stalls, and even mobile motorbike coffee sellers. These operate in public spaces—near schools, hospitals, and construction sites. And no one can be sure where the coffee at these makeshift stands actually comes from.
The Threat of “Dirty” Coffee
There have been numerous exposures and warnings about the production and sale of fake or adulterated coffee.
This so-called “coffee” is not made from real coffee beans but from roasted corn, soybeans, and areca nuts, mixed with:
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Burnt caramelized sugar to create a sweet aroma,
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Quinine to produce bitterness,
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Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to create a thick, syrupy texture.
Experts warn that these substances can cause serious health risks for consumers.
This type of fake coffee is extremely cheap, sometimes costing only half the price of real coffee.
Regulations and Continuing Concerns
More than three years ago, the Ministry of Health issued a circular regulating food safety requirements for food-service establishments and street-food businesses.
It clearly stated that all food ingredients and additives must come with invoices and documents proving their origin, and that only food additives approved by the Ministry of Health may be used.
Yet, concerns about illegal additives persist.
In HCMC, market management authorities are working to dismantle networks that distribute unregulated chemicals and flavoring agents not authorized for coffee production or processing.
But the issue also lies with small vendors.
All it takes is a few tables and chairs, a couple of umbrellas, a kettle of boiling water, a few coffee filters, and a handful of cups—and you have a coffee shop. Such a stall can provide income for a small family.
Many sellers don’t care about the source of the coffee they serve as long as it’s cheap.
A Call for Serious Research
Some experts argue that the coffee industry needs serious research to determine how much coffee each Vietnamese person consumes annually.
Only then can we estimate the volume of fake coffee being produced and sold, and understand the economic damage and potential health impacts this problem causes.
As long as the coffee industry cannot accurately quantify domestic coffee consumption, the battle against fake, adulterated coffee will remain only at its starting point.