Japan destroys banned imported meat products, including 'Ba Tuyet chicken feet' reportedly from Vietnam

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) publicly named Le Chien Mart - Koga in Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture, for selling meat products prohibited from import.

According to a MAFF notice dated October 9, an animal quarantine station inspected the store on September 29 and found that it had been storing, displaying and selling prohibited products.

The entire batch, weighing approximately 25.9 kilograms, was destroyed. It included eight products, four of which originated from Vietnam: two chicken-feet products and two cakes containing chicken meat. 

One was labeled 'Chan ga Ba Tuyet rut xuong,' meaning 'Ba Tuyet boneless chicken feet,' while another boneless chicken-feet product bore the name 'Anna Lala,' with both labels displaying the 'An Cung Ba Tuyet' brand.

The remaining products included beef and chicken sausages from Indonesia.

MAFF said the disclosure and destruction were carried out under Japan’s Act on Prevention of Infectious Diseases in Livestock, enacted in 1951, to help prevent the introduction and spread of animal diseases.

Following MAFF’s announcement, Hanoi-based An Cung Ba Tuyet Food Joint Stock Company said on October 11 that it had not exported products under the 'An Cung Ba Tuyet' brand to Japan or authorized any organization or individual to export, import or distribute its products there..

'An Cung Ba Tuyet' is a relatively well-known snack brand on social media, associated with 'Ba Tuyet,' a woman whose real name is Do Thi Tuyet and who also serves as the brand’s representative.

The company said the products’ appearance at a Japanese retail outlet did not establish that it had exported them or authorized their entry into the country. 

It also said it would review its agents, distributors and e-commerce stores to prevent unauthorized sales and shipments to markets where it had not officially exported its products, including Japan.

Ta Duc Minh, Vietnam’s trade counselor in Japan, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper on Friday afternoon that the destruction of the Ba Tuyet chicken-feet products concerned violations of Japanese import and animal quarantine regulations, rather than established violations of product quality or food safety.

He said some stores selling Vietnamese goods in Japan source products brought into the country as personal luggage, commonly known as hand-carried goods, for resale to Vietnamese customers.

Tran Thi Thu Phuong of the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health under  Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment told Tuoi Tre  that businesses exporting chicken to Japan must ensure supply-chain traceability, monitor animal diseases and food safety, and meet veterinary hygiene and other applicable standards.

Before authorizing exports, MAFF assesses production and processing chains and veterinary hygiene standards. Phuong said. 

Japan currently permits imports of heat-treated chicken products from Vietnam, with only Koyu & Unitek Co. Ltd. and CPV Food JSC authorized to export such products to the market, she added.

Phuong advised businesses to study destination markets’ animal quarantine, food safety and import requirements before exporting poultry products. She also warned travelers against carrying such products overseas without checking local regulations.

According to MAFF, Japan tightened regulations on illegally imported animal products from July 1, 2026, prohibiting not only their import but also their commercial sale, display and storage.

Retailers may therefore face enforcement action even if they did not directly import the goods. Authorities can inspect and destroy violating products and publicly identify the businesses involved.

Japan also requires food imported by post for commercial sale to undergo the relevant import notification procedures, regardless of quantity.

The Vietnam Trade Office in Japan has urged businesses and retailers to comply with Japanese animal quarantine, food safety, import and labeling requirements. 

It advised them to verify suppliers’ product origins and import documents, avoid selling goods whose lawful importation cannot be established, and consult Japanese authorities before importing new products or when suspecting existing stock may violate regulations.