16 Sept – Speculation that monosodium glutamate production at Vedan Group's plant in Vietnam may have been interrupted is growing today after reports the company has been accused of severely polluting a river with waste water from the facility.
Authorities in the Dong Nai region of Vietnam are said to have discovered that the company has been discharging untreated waste water from its monosodium glutamate factory into the Thi Vai river through pipes situated below the surface.
There are now questions regarding the ability of Vedan to produce from its Vietnamese plant on an uninterrupted basis.
As Feedinfo News Service reported on 10 September, the company reported a 24.5% year-on-year increase in H1 2008 turnover to USD 182.7 million. Vedan's MSG operations recorded a growth of 19.7% in Vietnam and a substantial 51.9% growth in China, mainly thanks to the increased competitiveness of export from its Vietnamese plant and the enhanced MSG brands and stronger channels in China. Overall turnover for MSG amounted to USD 118.9 million, up 24.4% on the year.