Eating out a box of Kera candy equivalent to nearly 6 packages of "buckwheat"
The Investigation Police Agency (Ministry of Public Security) has just issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case related to the acts of "producing counterfeit goods as food" and "deceiving customers", occurring at Asia Life Joint Stock Company, Chi Em rot Group Joint Stock Company and a number of other enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and Dak Lak province. Among the 5 defendants prosecuted, there are Hang Du Cac and Quang Linh Vlogs.
Through investigation, the authorities determined that the dietary supplement called Kera candy, produced by Asia Life Company, was counterfeit. The investigation discovered that the product contained more than 33% of Sorbitol - an ingredient used as a "basic".
Previously, the test results of Kera vegetable candy published by the National Institute of Food Safety and Hygiene testing (Ministry of Health) showed that this product contained Sorbitol sweetener with a content of 33.4gr/100gr (more than 33,3%).
Sorbitol is considered the most popular food additive today. This is a sweetener additive, permitted to be used in foods with the permitted dosage.
In addition, Sorbitol is also used as a laxative to treat constipation, which acts as a "bucket drug". However, according to the authorities, this ingredient is not listed on the Kera product label as prescribed.
According to the Food Safety Department, Sorbitol has side effects if consumed in excess. When eating more than 10gr/day, some people may experience diarrhea and abdominal pain. When consumed over 50g per day, Sorbitol can cause laxatives, digestive disorders, leading to diarrhea and intestinal imbalance.
Some allergic reactions can occur such as dizziness, shortness of breath, itching/inflammation (especially the face, tongue, throat), rash.
To date, the US Food and Drug Administration has required food products containing Sorbitol to be clearly marked on labels and have warning lines that consuming too much can cause laxative effects.
Doctor Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam-Russia High Voltage Oxygen Center, Ministry of National Defense, said: The content of 33.4 g/100g of Sorbitol sweetener contained in Kera's vegetable candy products is a large amount. A box of Kera candy (according to the manufacturer's announcement) contains 96g of candy.
According to the latest test results, 100g of candy contains 33.4g of Sorbitol. For example, eating a box of candy alone would be equivalent to nearly 6 packs of Sorbitol.
"Because usually sorbitol is a medication that will be packed with only 5g/pack. When treating the disease, depending on the disease, the doctor will prescribe patients 2-3 packs/day. Thus, the amount of Sorbitol used for a day will fall at about 15g/day for adults. And easy to digest when eating Kera vegetable candy, I think a lot is due to Sorbitol.
Kera candy users may be in danger
Dr. Hoang warned that it is very dangerous for manufacturers not to announce ceramic and vegetable candy products containing Sorbitol. Because there are people who are allergic and resist the indication of this substance, for example: physical illness, non-fertility, ulcerative colitis - rectal, dengue colitis, Crohn's disease and congestion or half-cloggedness; Unknown abdominal pain syndrome; Patients with genetic fructose intolerance (a rare metabolic disease); Sorbitol allergy.
The manufacturer did not announce the ingredients with Sorbitol, which is very untrue and dangerous to deceive. Sorbitol will have to have a very clear doctor's prescription. If you eat a candy about 3.2g, the amount of Sorbitol is not a problem. But eating too much is dangerous because the ingredients containing the drug (Sorbitol) must follow the doctor's instructions," said Dr. Hoang.
Regarding this issue, Dr. Nguyen Hong Vu, PhD in clinical biologology, also warned: Using sorbitol to fight constipation should only be a "temporary" method because if you use sorbitol or any laxative drug too often, the body can become dependent on them to maintain normal bowel function.
This can lead to chronic constipation or reduce the intestines' natural ability to excrete waste. In addition, its side effects can cause problems with dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, intestinal damage, and reduced bowel movements.
From December 2024 to March this year, this company has produced more than 160,000 boxes for Chi Em rot Group Joint Stock Company, of which about 135,000 boxes of Kera candy have been consumed on the market.
Kera candy was once advertised as "a instead of a plate of green vegetables". However, testing showed that the box of 30 capsules contained only 0.51gr of fiber.
