as a result of various food safety scandals that have hit the headlines in recent years. In 2010, a comment by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai at a conference about food safety and food hygiene went viral: “I am on a diet and should eat more vegetables but the vegetables sold at wet markets are so contaminated by pesticides that I do not know what to eat anymore”.
Skyrocketing medical and healthcare costs have also affected consumers‟ attitude towards health and food safety. At the end of 2012, almost all first-tier public hospitals simultaneously raised their fees. Moreover, hospital charges are scheduled to increase further in 2014. Given that social welfare and insurance schemes are underdeveloped, medical expenses are mostly paid by individuals. As a result, people are more health conscious for fear of falling sick and