Ho Chi Minh City - Post Report Question and Answers
What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
There is always something in bloom. Vehicle exhaust is inescapable. Soy or nut allergies would be very difficult to manage here. Soy sauce and peanuts are served in/with just about everything. - Sep 2021
Vietnam suffers from a dangerous cocktail of poverty and lack of governmental transparency. Poor farmers and struggling businesspeople make questionable choices with regard to environmental protection and product safety. The government suppresses media stories that try to expose these issues. As a result, there is a “buyer beware” culture, and a distrust of local products in general. Things are cheap here, but you get what you pay for. There is a growing awareness of food allergy and dietary requirements, but mainly in upscale places. Also a growing supply of organic food, but it’s impossible to verify just how clean and organic it really is. - Jul 2019
there are peanuts or peanut oil in almost all of the local food - so take care. If you live in a villa you might want to invest in a good HEPA air cleaner - the air is filthy and also mold grows really well here. - Mar 2016
I have an allergy to gluten, so I don’t eat out too much --- although there are a few restaurants here that actually have a gluten-free menu. You can get most foods in the markets for people with any type of allergy. - Aug 2015
