Image credit: Visual China

On November 19, Blue Whale News reported (reporter Zhang Jinglun) that on the evening of November 18, the Market Supervision Administration of Dongxihu District, wuhan released an investigation report stating that regarding the previous claims made by anti-counterfeit internet personalities that bestore co.,ltd. was suspected of commissioning production of "Guixiang Nut Lotus Powder detected to have cassava components" and "Hot and Sour Noodles not detected to have sweet potato components", the market supervision administrations of anhui and henan assisted in the investigation. Testing of the products from the same batch in question showed that no cassava components were detected in the involved lotus powder and raw materials, while sweet potato components were detected in the involved hot and sour noodles, thus the allegations made by the informant were unfounded.

The report stated that on October 30, the administration received a report from the informant, where the product label of "Guixiang Nut Lotus Powder" (specification: 210 grams; production date: 20240622) did not label cassava starch but detected cassava components, while the label of "Hot and Sour Noodles" (specification: 138 grams, production date: 20240813) indicated sweet potato starch but did not detect sweet potato components. The administration lawfully filed a case, inspected bestore co.,ltd., conducted inquiries, collected relevant evidence, and investigated the food processing agreement, the production qualifications of the manufacturer, and related factory inspection materials.

On November 19, bestore co.,ltd. (603719.SH) indicated to Blue Whale News that the false public opinion spread by the anti-counterfeit internet personality severely disrupted the normal operation of the company and caused extremely serious negative impacts on the brand's reputation. Currently, the company has secured relevant evidence and filed a report against the malicious rumor spreaders, and will also file a lawsuit.

Chinese food industry analyst Zhu Danpeng informed Blue Whale News that the experience of bestore co.,ltd. once again highlights a harsh reality: a trivial comment from an anti-counterfeit blogger can plunge a company into an endless "self-proof trap", inflicting significant reputational and financial losses. If this style of online violence continues to proliferate, it will force companies to bear a heavy burden, consuming substantial resources and severely hindering healthy development and long-term planning. Therefore, it is essential to face and effectively resolve this issue, creating a fair and just competitive environment for businesses, allowing the food industry to carry on lightly while continuously providing safe and high-quality products to the public.

Image source: Jinyin Lake Bank WeChat official account.