Before being arrested, Ngan 98 had accused of being 'harmed' and affirmed that the weight loss product was legal.

Before being prosecuted and temporarily detained to investigate the act of "producing and trading in fake food products", Ngan 98 repeatedly said that she was "organizedly harmed".

Ngan took advantage of the "free gift" to sell another product called "Collagen vegetable pills" but it was not licensed - Photo: Provided by the police

On October 13, Ho Chi Minh City Police confirmed that they had initiated a case, prosecuted the accused, and temporarily detained Vo Thi Ngoc Ngan (commonly known by the nickname Ngan 98, DJ Ngan 98) to investigate the crime of "producing and trading in counterfeit food products" for selling "Collagen vegetable pills" even though they were not licensed for circulation.

Public opinion storm from weight loss products of Ngan 98

Since 2021, Ngan has started cooperating with a number of factories in Hanoi to order the processing of "health protection and weight loss" food products such as Super Detox X3, X7, X1000... On paper, these are all licensed products. However, Ngan has taken advantage of the "free gift" form to sell another product called "Collagen vegetable pills".

Through investigation, this "Collagen vegetable pill" was not licensed for circulation, there was no product declaration file, but Ngan still packaged and labeled it with the same brand name X3 - X7 - X1000, then advertised it as having the effect of increasing weight loss when used with the main products.

Since May 2025, Ngan 98's name has become the center of controversy on social networks when some weight loss products she advertised were suspected of containing banned substances. The three products named are Super Detox X3 weight loss pills, X7 Plus weight loss pills, and X1000 weight loss pills.

These products are widely sold on social networks and e-commerce platforms with prices ranging from several hundred thousand to nearly 1 million VND. In the promotional videos , Ngan 98 asserts that the effectiveness "challenges all body types", without the need for dieting or exercise.

Based on the information on the packaging of weight loss products advertised by Ngan 98, the inspectors of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety went to the address 154 Pham Van Chieu, Ward 9, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City - the address of ZUBU Trading and Service Company Limited, the organization responsible for the product and registered the product declaration (written on the packaging). However, the authorities recorded that this company did not exist at the above address.

In response to the doubts, Ngan 98 continuously posted clips and articles on her personal Facebook and TikTok, affirming that the weight loss products she represented had full legal documents and were clearly tested.

At the same time, Ngan 98 said that it had worked with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety. At the meeting, Ngan 98 said that it had provided complete and detailed legal documents about the product, including declaration documents, production contracts, product testing certificates, value-added invoices (red invoices), and certificates of eligibility for production.

Ngan 98 believes that there is a group of people "organizing and staging slander" to damage her image. She also filed a complaint with the authorities, listing the stores and individuals suspected of making fake, counterfeit goods, and forging the origin of the products she promotes.

She also confirmed that the products currently being promoted are no longer related to ZUBU Company - a company that ceased operations two years ago.

Ngan took advantage of the "freebies" to sell another product called "Collagen vegetable pills" along with X3 - X7 - X1000 - Screenshot

What harmful substances does Ngan 98's product contain?

The authorities conducted an appraisal at the Institute of Criminal Science - Ministry of Public Security , thereby determining that the products produced and traded by Vo Thi Ngoc Ngan did not meet the declared quality standards and were counterfeit goods, in which some samples (Collagen tablets) contained the banned substances sibutramin and phenolphthalein.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, Bach Mai Hospital, two banned substances, sibutramine and phenolphthalein, are often used in many weight loss supplements.

Accordingly, functional foods advertised for weight loss often contain a lot of substances and are often divided into groups. Stimulants such as banned substances sibutramine, caffeine, even powder from animal thyroid glands...

The mechanism of action forces the body's internal organs, especially the cardiovascular system, to burn fat and consume energy without having to increase physical activity. This is unscientific and very dangerous, causing incidents with the cardiovascular system, brain, etc.

Also appetite suppressants, for example phenylpropanolamine (among these substances there are also many highly toxic and risky substances).

Phenolphthalein in weight loss pills can seriously affect the digestive system, cardiovascular system, and liver of users. Using phenolphthalein to lose weight also causes unwanted side effects such as dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and in the long term leads to poor health...

Dr. Nguyen recommends that to lose weight, people should go to the doctor or get direct advice from a doctor to guide, evaluate the condition and take specific measures for each person. The most common and safest way is still to adjust the diet and increase physical activity.

"In addition, functional foods in Vietnam are currently being advertised and misunderstood a lot. When you need to buy any product, especially for use on the human body, you need to choose products manufactured by licensed companies that meet state standards. The purchase also needs to be directly through an official distributor, with clear invoices and taxes.

Up to now, to ensure safety and desired effects, people should not buy all functional food and medicine products on social networks, over the internet or by phone," Dr. Nguyen warned.

WILLOW - THU HIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/truoc-khi-bi-bat-ngan-98-tung-to-bi-ham-hai-khang-dinh-san-pham-giam-can-hop-phap-20251013122212945.htm