The Vietnamese government has fined 50 news organisations in the country for spreading misleading information about the safety of Vietnamese produced fish sauce.

Among the news outlets slapped with fines was the mainstream Thanh Nien newspaper which was hit with a nearly $US9,000 penalty.

The newspapers were fined for publishing a survey by the state-controlled and non-profit organisation called Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinastas).

The newspaper, which received the highest fine because it also ran its own independent survey, was accused of “publishing incorrect information that undermined national interests”, the Ministry of Information and Communication said on its website.

According to an investigation by Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vinastas’ survey made a misleading statement that 70 per cent of the sampled fish sauce brands contained an excessive amount of arsenic content.

But the survey failed to mention the difference between the non-toxic organic arsenic, and the toxic inorganic arsenic.

In the same investigation, the ministry noted that the study was sponsored by organisations that lacked transparency or supervision.

News of the survey back in October left many Vietnamese worried about the safety of a condiment used in daily cooking.

– TiVi Tuan-san