The State Administration for Market Regulation and the China Consumers Association jointly issued consumption tips
To identify the authenticity of health food, "check one, choose two, choose three and complain"
The concept of health and wellness is becoming increasingly popular, and the health food market continues to heat up. However, some unscrupulous operators take advantage of the urgent need for health of consumers, especially the elderly, to induce consumption through false propaganda, marketing routines and other methods, seriously damaging the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. In order to help consumers purchase health food scientifically and rationally, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the China Consumers Association recently jointly issued consumption tips.
Recognize the essence of products and consume scientifically and rationally. Health foods are special foods, not medicines, and cannot replace medicines to treat diseases. According to the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, food and health food cannot promote disease prevention or treatment functions. When consumers purchase health food, they should carefully read the labels and instructions to understand the suitable groups, unsuitable groups and functional ingredients. Do not use health food as medicine. If you are not feeling well or treating a disease, please go to a regular medical institution to avoid delaying your condition.
Be wary of marketing routines and stay away from consumer fraud. Identify "free traps." Unscrupulous merchants attract consumers with free health lectures, free physical examinations, free gifts, etc., and use daily WeChat greetings, door-to-door companionship and chat, etc. to close relationships and gain trust, and then take advantage of the trend to promote high-priced products. In the face of such situations, please remain highly vigilant, do not blindly participate, and do not add strangers to WeChat at will.
Stay away from "will sales" brainwashing. Unscrupulous merchants often gather consumers in closed places in the name of health lectures, expert free clinics, patient sharing, free travel, dinner parties, etc., where "experts", "professors" or "old patients" take turns to "explain their personal experiences", exaggerate the efficacy of products, create the illusion of "cure all diseases" and "limited time discounts", and induce consumers to buy high-priced health foods. Don’t trust “expert recommendations” or “patient testimonies” easily, and communicate with family members before making large purchases.
Beware of “private domain” scams. Some merchants spread false medical advertisements through closed channels such as WeChat groups, corporate WeChat private chats, and private live broadcast rooms, pretending to be endorsements from medical staff, and trumpeting that their products have disease prevention and treatment effects. These advertisements are often spread in the form of temporary mini-programs or limited-time links, which expire when they expire, making it difficult for consumers to prove their rights. Please do not believe in the "miracle medicine" propaganda from private channels, do not click on temporary links of unknown origin, and do not conduct transactions through social channels.
Conveniently check the authenticity and have channels to protect your rights. How to identify the authenticity of health food and protect your own rights? Consumers can keep in mind “check one, check two, choose three to complain”.
Check it out. Before purchasing, look for the "blue hat" logo and approval number on the product packaging, log in to the special food information inquiry platform of the State Administration for Market Regulation, enter the approval number, and verify the product authenticity and registration information in a few seconds.
Second choice. Choose supermarkets, pharmacies and formal e-commerce platforms with complete licenses to purchase. Be vigilant about free health lectures, private live broadcasts, temporary mini program links, door-to-door sales and other channels, and do not trust the endorsements of "experts" and "patients".
Three complaints. If you encounter false propaganda, price fraud or product quality problems, you can complain to the Consumers Association through the National Consumers Association Smart 315 platform, or report to the market supervision department. If suspected of committing a crime, report the case to the public security organ in a timely manner.
