HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Trade Office in Poland has urged exporters to tighten management on product quality after Polish authorities returned a 22-tonne shipment of cinnamon from Việt Nam due to contamination from mould.

The General Inspectorate of Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (IJHARS) in Gdansk announced on July 25 that the cinnamon consignment failed to meet food safety standards due to the presence of mould, yeast and other organic impurities.

IJHARS has ordered the shipment to be either returned to the sender or disposed of following the established regulations.

This is not the first time the Polish authority has seized goods from Việt Nam. According to the Polish authority, in the first half of 2025, five shipments from Việt Nam were banned, including black pepper and dried mango.

Although Việt Nam is not the only country facing import rejections, the case highlights growing scrutiny from Polish regulators amid rising demand for imported agri-food products.

Still, the Vietnam Trade Office noted that the number of Vietnamese shipments rejected in the first half of this year was equivalent to just around 30 per cent of the same period last year.

As IJHARS has announced that it will tighten controls to minimise the risk of dangerous products reaching Polish consumers, the Vietnam Trade Office in Poland urged Vietnamese producers and exporters to increase quality management to avoid losses due to returned or destroyed goods.

Exporters should comply with food safety and hygiene requirements to protect the reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products, the office stated. — BIZHUB/VNS