Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien rose to fame after winning Miss Grand International 2021 in Thailand. - Instagram
HCM CITY: Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, 26, former Miss Grand International 2021, was arrested on Monday (May 19) by the Ministry of Public Security’s Police Investigation Agency over allegations of consumer deception linked to the controversial “Kera vegetable candy” scandal.
Tien is being investigated for “deceiving customers” under Clause 2, Article 198 of Vietnam’s Penal Code.
The case involves several high-profile individuals, including social media influencers and senior executives from Asia Life Corporation and Che Em Rot Company, who are accused of producing and falsely advertising substandard health food products.
Investigators allege that Tien held a 30 per cent stake in the venture that manufactured Kera candy, a product marketed as a healthy substitute for green vegetables. The remaining 70 per cent was owned by her business partners, Nguyen Thi Thai Hang (known as Hang Du Muc) and Pham Quang Linh (known as Quang Linh Vlogs), both of whom were arrested in early April on similar charges.
Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien (second from left), seen alongside other suspects arrested by the Ministry of Public Security’s Police Investigation Agency. - Courtesy of the Ministry of Public Security
Authorities accuse the company of using deceptive marketing claims — such as “one piece equals a plate of vegetables” — while failing to disclose key ingredients, including sorbitol, which constituted 35 per cent of the product and caused a laxative effect.
The raw materials used were also found to be of lower nutritional value than advertised, with actual vegetable powder content under 1 per cent despite packaging that claimed 28 per cent.
The misleading promotional campaign was widely disseminated across social media platforms. Tien, who has more than 2.6 million followers on Facebook, appeared in livestreams and posts promoting the candy as safe and beneficial for both children and adults. She later deleted these posts after users raised concerns about the accuracy of the claims.
According to police, over 135,000 units of the product were sold to more than 30,000 customers, generating revenues exceeding VND17 billion (approximately US$670,000).
Several executives from Asia Life Corporation have also been indicted for “producing counterfeit food,” including Truong Thi Le and Tran Thi Le Thu, who are currently in custody. Others, such as Pham Thi Diem Trinh and Nguyen Pham Hong Vy, have been released due to pregnancy or child-rearing responsibilities.
In April, Tien was fined VNĐ25 million (US$1,000) for failing to disclose sponsorship and advertisement obligations in her online promotions of the product.
Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien rose to fame after winning Miss Grand International 2021 in Thailand and was previously recognised by the Ho Chí Minh Communist Youth Union as one of Vietnam’s outstanding young figures in the arts.
Beyond pageantry, she has appeared in several music videos and films, including the upcoming movie Chot Don alongside actor Quyen Linh.
Her arrest has shocked fans and drawn widespread media attention, underscoring growing public concern over false health claims and celebrity endorsements in Vietnam’s rapidly expanding, social media-driven e-commerce market. — Vietnam News/ANN
