In just 15 minutes, Zhang Li (pseudonym) swiped four or five different correction live broadcast rooms on the online platform. "Those who have dry eyes, astringent eyes, and easily tired eyes, those who see a lot of electronic products, and those who wear small mirrors and small frames, all go to eat our lutein tablets. As a person with high myopia, wears glasses all year round and works at a desk for a long time, Zhang Li was a little tempted to hear these propaganda.
"Correction is a big brand and should be reliable. When Zhang Li confirmed with the anchor that the product was directly sold by the official flagship store and the manufacturer, she decided to eat and watch. The price of lutein tablets per bottle is 49.9 yuan, and the anchor suggested that she shoot a cycle of quantity first, that is, 3 bottles. In the words of the anchor, "If you want to achieve the effect, you must accumulate a certain amount". Before placing an order, Zhang Li also went to other online sales platforms to learn about its sales volume, and the sales volume of this lutein tablet was 200,000+. A few days later, Zhang Li received the package, and after carefully reading the product information, she always felt that something was not right, and the product type of lutein tablets showed: tablet candy.
Another consumer said that he bought Boyoudi brand L-carnitine instant coffee powder in the official flagship store of the amendment, although the product is indeed a blue hat product and also printed with the correction logo, but the actual manufacturer and the entrusted enterprise of the coffee powder have nothing to do with the amendment. The Beijing News reporter's investigation found that there are many kinds of products sold on the online platform, including hawthorn chicken inner gold tablet candy, anti-hair loss lotion, anti-flatulence patches, shoulder and neck hot compresses, iron-rich gummies, etc., most of which are OEM products, and the anchor has exaggerated the efficacy and false publicity in the live broadcast room sales process.
False Publicity: Ordinary Eye Mask Transformed into a "Miracle Medicine" for Myopia Treatment
"Over 2 years old, up to 80 years old, old and young, dry, astringent, tired, near, far, scattered can be pasted. Like many babies, seven or eight hundred, eight or nine hundred are also posted like this, selling more than 300,000 orders offline and more than 100,000 orders online. Although there are no clear terms such as "farsightedness", "myopia" and "astigmatism", people can still understand the meaning immediately.
In the words of the anchor of the correction eye patch, "The old fans have come down, reduced, less than 50, some babies have been pulled to 0, it won't be easy to use, everyone is useful, it works, how can you not use it, first paste it first try to feel it, feel it first for 1 month, and then stay if you are satisfied." ”
Some netizens asked in the live broadcast room: Is this a treatment for myopia? or just relief. Corrected eye patch reply: Yes, 10-15 boxes can be used consistently.
The anchor also introduced the detailed usage of eye patches: once a day for people over 18 years old, once for 2 or 3 days under 18 years old, 15 minutes before going to bed every day, and 6 patches per box of 6 tablets. The anchor emphasized that the lutein concentration in 5 boxes, 10 boxes, and 15 boxes is not the same, 5 boxes are pasted below 200, 10 boxes are bought for those below 200-500, and 15 boxes are bought for more than 500.
The Beijing News reporter investigated and found that the manufacturer of the eye patch is Guangzhou Shanglan Beauty Technology Co., Ltd., the product implementation number is Guangdong G makeup network preparation word 2023119796, and the product implementation standard is QB/T2872. It is not difficult to find that this eye mask is a makeup brand product and belongs to cosmetics, and the product implementation standard QB/T2872 applies to the product range of facial masks. The main ingredients of this product are: water, glycerin, sodium polyacrylate, cellulose gum, cyclodextrin, phenoxyethanol, butylene glycol, tartaric acid, aluminum glycinate, lutein. In the efficacy column, the product clearly states: hydrogel film texture, fresh and easy to absorb, containing plant extracts to help improve the dry state of the eye skin.
Article 8 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that business operators shall not make false or misleading commercial promotions about the performance, function, quality, sales status, user evaluation, and honors of their goods, so as to deceive or mislead consumers. An ordinary hydrating eye mask was advertised as a "miracle drug" for vision, which obviously involved false publicity and unfair competition.
At the same time, Hou Xianru, chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology of Peking University People's Hospital, said that lutein may have certain benefits for the macula of the fundus, but the effect is limited.
Exaggerating efficacy: Expressing "efficacy" through raw materials is a typical side-rubbing behavior
The ingredient list of blueberry lutein ester vitamin C tablets tablet candy purchased by Zhang Li shows: sorbitol, maltodextrin, blueberry powder, lutein ester powder, black fruit wolfberry powder, blackcurrant powder, vitamin C, microcrystalline cellulose, anhydrous citric acid, blueberry flavor, aspartame (containing phenylalanine), magnesium stearate. In addition, 210mg of blueberry powder and 80mg of lutein ester powder (containing 5% lutein ester) were added per 1.2 grams (2 tablets).
"Lutein esters and blueberry powder can really protect the eyes, improve blood flow to the eyes, and relieve eye fatigue. The intake of lutein ester for adults does not exceed 12mg/day, and it is not recommended for children to use lutein for a long time, generally 2-3 months is good, excessive intake is easy to increase the burden on the liver and kidneys, and even cause damage. Bai Yawen, an ophthalmologist at Beijing Shijitan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, said that lutein ester is an extract, which people can take from carrots, kiwifruit, grapes, mangoes and other fruits and vegetables daily.
In this regard, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province responded that the anchor claims that people with dry eyes, astringent eyes, visual fatigue, people who see a lot of electronic products, and people with myopia do not belong to medical efficacy, nor do they belong to health food efficacy, and if it is only a product performance statement, it cannot be proved to be false.
However, a health care product industry insider told the Beijing News reporter that tablet candy is an ordinary food, and the anchor's promotion is obviously not standardized, and expressing the so-called "efficacy" through raw materials is a typical behavior in the industry.
"Food is not allowed to advertise efficacy, tablet candy is actually a dosage form of food, but it is a bit of a rubbing with medicines and health products. Wang Zhong, vice chairman of the China Health Care Association, also said that lutein is added to the product, which has a certain effect on improving macular degeneration and vision, but has little effect on dry eyes and astringent eyes, and has nothing to do with the "small mirrors, small frames" myopia suggested in the live broadcast room, myopia is caused by muscle fatigue and refractive error caused by excessive eye use.
Whereabouts unknown: The Luohu Market Supervision Bureau found that the company involved was no longer missing
Like Zhang Li, many consumers buy the products in the correction live broadcast room to correct the brand, but the products that consumers receive may be OEM.
Taking Boyoudi brand L-carnitine instant coffee powder as an example, the reporter found that the entrusted manufacturer of this product is Shenzhen Beibeijian Import and Export Trade Co., Ltd. Tianyancha shows that the company was established in 2009 and is a wholesale-based enterprise. Shareholder Mu Dezhao holds 100% of the shares, which is not related to Amendment Industry and Amendment Pharmaceutical. The entrusted manufacturer, Anhui Zhengxing Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd., is 100% controlled by Anhui Lixing New Materials Co., Ltd., and the legal person Wang Delin has no relationship with Correction Pharmaceutical, Tonghua Correction Industry, and Correction Biomedical (Hangzhou) Research Institute. The product is associated with the correction is a distribution company, Jilin Standard Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is 100% owned by Jilin Correction Health Co., Ltd.
The Luohu Market Supervision Bureau of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province responded that its law enforcement officers conducted an on-site inspection of Shenzhen Beibeijian Import and Export Trade Co., Ltd. in accordance with the law and found that the company involved was not operating at the registered address. According to the intranet inquired by the Luohu Market Supervision Bureau, the company was included in the list of abnormal operations on January 20, 2021 because it could not be contacted through its registered residence or business premises.
The manufacturer of the modified lutein hydrogel eye mask film is Guangzhou Shanglan Beauty Technology Co., Ltd., which was established in 2019 and is an enterprise mainly engaged in the manufacturing of chemical raw materials and chemical products. The company is not related to Correction Industry or Correction Pharmaceutical.
The Beijing News reporter learned that the manufacturer of blueberry lutein ester vitamin C tablets tablet candy is Hangzhou Qiandao Lake Standard Poor Health Food Co., Ltd., Tianyancha shows that the company was founded in 2016, a member of Tonghua Correction Industry, located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, is an enterprise mainly engaged in the retail industry. The actual control enterprise of the manufacturer is 100% controlled by Hangzhou Xiutong Health Technology Co., Ltd., and the major shareholder of Hangzhou Xiutong Health Technology Co., Ltd. is Jilin Amendment Health Co., Ltd., holding 81.25% of the shares, and the major shareholder Xiuyuan holds 18.75% of the shares, and Xiuyuan is the shareholder of Amendment Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd.
In response to the false propaganda involved in the correction of eye patches and the exaggeration of the efficacy of lutein tablets, a reporter from the Beijing News sent an email to the correction group for verification, but did not receive a response. The reporter contacted the relevant personnel of the correction pharmaceutical industry, he said that he was not responsible for such products, so he was not clear about the situation, and then recommended to the reporter "Mr. Guo", who was responsible for related categories. On December 14, the reporter contacted "Mr. Guo" but said that he did not belong to the personnel of the Correction Pharmaceutical Group, but only a market service personnel, and the questions raised by the reporter needed to be replied after verifying the situation. On December 18, the reporter asked again about the progress of the verification, but there has been no reply so far.
"The Market Supervision Bureau has repeatedly warned that people must be cautious when buying products on the Internet, although the Internet is not a place outside the law, but the network environment is relatively chaotic, and many consumers are indeed deceived. In terms of scientific selection of health food, Wang Zhong suggested that consumers should pay attention to the following points. First, when buying functional health foods, you should look for the blue hat logo; second, understand the contents of the instructions of health foods, and buy them according to their efficacy, and all verbal or verbal propaganda that leaves the function are suspected of exaggerated publicity; third, do not treat health products as medicines.
Beijing News reporter Zhang Zhaohui Image source: Network screenshot
Proofread by Wang Xin