Urgently inspect facilities with signs of violations
On March 7, speaking with SGGP reporters, Dr. Nguyen Hung Long, Deputy Director of the Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health , said that through social networks, he had learned about the case of the food supplement SUPERGREENS GUMMIES (“Kera vegetable candy”) showing signs of violating food advertising regulations, causing public outrage. This product was advertised as being from Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) and was produced at ASIA LIFE Joint Stock Company (Dak Lak Province).
The Food Safety Department has sent a document requesting the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department to urgently inspect the operations of Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company regarding the conditions for production, publication, and advertising of the product “Kera vegetable candy”; requesting the Dak Lak Provincial Department of Health to urgently review and inspect the operations of the production facility, strictly handle any violations; and at the same time, announce the results on the mass media.
The leader of the Food Safety Department stated that the advertisement "one candy is equivalent to one plate of vegetables" is a sign of excessive advertising, and more worryingly, it is related to famous people who have been loved by the online community and young people in recent times.
According to information from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, the food supplement SUPERGREENS GUMMIES ("Kera vegetable candy") was announced and submitted by Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company on December 23, 2024. According to regulations, for food supplements, enterprises will self-declare with information such as: product name, ingredients, packaging specifications, expiry date, name - address of manufacturer, product label sample, food safety criteria; food safety test certificate of the product is valid for 12 months. Enterprises are responsible for the quality and safety of the announced products.
Regarding the incident, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, informed that a team had been set up to inspect the Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company at the request of the Department of Food Safety. According to a source of SGGP Newspaper, Food Safety Management Team No. 2 (Thu Duc City) inspected the Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company at noon on March 7. When the results are available, the Department of Food Safety will announce them to the public.
On March 7, Mr. Nay Phi La, Director of the Department of Health of Dak Lak province, informed that he had assigned the inspector to coordinate with the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene of this province to inspect the production process of Kera vegetable candy at ASIA LIFE Joint Stock Company. A representative of ASIA LIFE Joint Stock Company said that since November 2024, the company has signed a cooperation agreement with Chi Em Rot Group Joint Stock Company (HCMC) to supply 40,000-50,000 boxes of Kera vegetable candy. The entire formula for creating the product is provided by the partner, the company only processes the product and commits that the products are in accordance with the issued design.
Understand food before using it
MSc. Nguyen Phuong Anh, Deputy Head of the Nutrition Department, An Binh Hospital, said that vegetable candy cannot replace the daily consumption of vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits contain a lot of water and fiber, which helps regulate the absorption of nutrients for the body and protect the digestive system. According to recommendations, the consumption of vegetables for adults is about 320 grams/day, not including fruits. Meanwhile, the process of drying vegetables (to make powder to produce vegetable candy) will cause a loss of nutrients, especially heat-sensitive substances such as vitamins and antioxidants - which are very important for health.
At the same time, the candy production process requires the addition of sugar to create flavor. Therefore, if you eat enough candy to meet the required vegetable consumption, it can cause excess sugar (about 12-16 pieces/day). "Vegetable candy can be considered a snack candy that temporarily supplements fiber but cannot be a substitute for vegetables in daily nutrition," emphasized Master-Doctor Phuong Anh.
The reality of advertising that exaggerates the benefits of food, especially health protection foods and dietary supplements, is constantly being warned about because of the risk of harming consumers' health. Some types are advertised as "curing and curing diseases completely" causing many people to be hospitalized with liver and kidney failure due to banned substances and toxins; some children have been poisoned by vitamins because their parents arbitrarily supplemented them with pills... Experts recommend that consumers need to clearly understand the nature of food before using it, especially being wary of excessive advertising on social networks.
Regarding the sale of food on social networks, Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety, acknowledged that this is a common trend, and managers also need to adapt to change management methods. Currently, the Department of Food Safety still controls the sale of food online, monitors information, and has a department to receive complaints to conduct inspections and handling. However, implementation is facing many difficulties due to the lack of management tools.
To ensure the interests and safety of consumers, the Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety said that online food sales must meet all food safety requirements, and documents must be assessed and made public on the sales website for people to understand. In addition, strict regulations must be established soon to effectively control goods, avoiding the situation of counterfeit, fake, and poor quality goods being mixed in, causing harm to consumers.
Clarifying the need for fiber in humans
On March 7, regarding the food product “Kera vegetable candy”, the Food Safety Department, Ministry of Health sent a document to the National Institute of Nutrition to provide research information related to human fiber needs. Currently, the World Health Organization has recommended a minimum daily intake of 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per person to prevent chronic diseases and reduce deficiencies of some micronutrients.
Along with that, the Nutrition Pyramid for Vietnamese adults approved by the Ministry of Health also recommends a fruit and vegetable consumption of 480-560 grams/day, of which vegetable consumption is from 240-320 grams/day and ripe fruit consumption is 240 grams/day.
NGUYEN QUOC
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/can-trong-truoc-quang-cao-cong-dung-cua-keo-rau-post785032.html
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