The “Big Head Doll” Incident Unveiled Insider Story of Fake Milk Powder Sales

The “big head doll” fake special doctor milk powder incident broke out in Yongxing County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, and the product sales process and insider were concerned.

On May 13, the person in charge of publicity of the Yongxing County Market Supervision Bureau responded to the reporter that the investigation team had contacted the involved company Hunan Weile Health Industry Co., Ltd., and no doctors were involved in the incident. The reporter learned from the company involved that the product “Bei An Min” had been discontinued last year.

It is worth noting that some hospitals have become important media during the sale of fake special doctor milk powder. Some manufacturers have disclosed to the reporter that such products mainly flow to mothers, babies, and medical channels. After paying a certain “entry fee”, they can enter the hospital’s in-store stores for sale. The doctors with the right to prescribe, such as the hospital’s gastroenterology department, pediatrics department, and children’s ICU, are all targeted by the sales staff for “public relations”.

The brand involved is emerging

According to the Red Network, the Yongxing County Party Committee Propaganda Department understands that the maternal and infant store in question is “Ai Ying Fang” in Yongxing County. When receiving the consultation of parents who are allergic to ordinary milk powder, the salesperson of the store recommended Hunan Weileke Health Industry Co., Ltd.’s “Bei An Min” imported deep-hydrolyzed whey protein (protein solid beverage) products from France for its babies to eat.

At present, 5 parents have complained to the market supervision department of Yongxing County. In addition, the Yongxing County Maternal and Infant Store, Aiyingfang has purchased 47 “Bei An Min” products from Hunan Weileke Health Industry Co., Ltd. and sold them all by October 2019. The relevant functional departments such as Yongxing County Market Supervision Bureau, County Health Bureau, and other relevant functional departments have organized special classes to investigate the maternal and infant stores involved.

On May 13, the reporter dialed the official customer service phone of Hunan Weileke Health Industry Co., Ltd. and learned that the company’s “Bei An Mei” product had been discontinued in mid-2019, and the company has been involved in the investigation. Regarding the types of products and the applicable population, the customer service stated that “Bei An Mei” is a common food, which can be eaten by the general population, and the product complies with the national standard (solid beverage standard).

As for why the product in question was sold in the maternal and infant store in question and sold to children with milk allergies, the customer service staff stated that the product is edible for the general population and can be sold. The company only manufactures products in accordance with national regulations, and it is not clear that the store sold the product to children.

The reporter inquired from the online picture information that the production license number of “Bei An Mei” was SC10612011100425, the client was Hunan Weileke Health Industry Co., Ltd., and the processing party was the manufacturing center of Tianjin Deheng Technology Co., Ltd. “Tianjin Deheng Technology Co., Ltd. Zhangjiawo Processing Factory”). After inquiries, the product category is protein solid beverage, not a special medical formula food.

Tianyanzha revealed that Hunan Weileke Health Industry Co., Ltd. was established in 2015, and the legal representative and the controlling shareholder are Xiao Shihu (September 26, 2019, the original legal representative Liu Lizhi withdrew). Xiao Shihu is also the controlling shareholder of Mei You Gao Dairy (Hunan) Co., Ltd. and Hunan Niu Geng Niu Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Upon inquiry, the scope of the product production license obtained by Weileke Co. is limited to “drinks” and does not have the qualifications for the production of special medical milk powder and infant formula milk powder.

At present, the products promoted by the official website of the company include “Tiankangli” lactoferrin bovine colostrum powder, “Bao Shu La” probiotic compound powder, and a variety of vitamins, probiotics, nutritional supplement products. Judging from the description of its official flagship store, these products are mostly solid beverages but mainly aimed at children.

Some hospitals are easy to become “public relation” objects of businesses

As to whether there were any hospitals or doctors involved in the “big head doll” fake special doctor milk powder incident, on May 13th, the head of publicity of the Yongxing County Market Supervision Bureau responded to the reporter that the investigation team has contacted the involved company Hunan Weileke Health Industry Co., Ltd. and has not found any hospitals or doctors involved in the incident.

However, on March 30, 2020, more than a dozen parents published the “Joint Letter” of “Chenzhou” Big Head Doll “Parents Requesting the Government to Handle the Chenzhou Fake Milk Powder Incident” on the “Ask Political Hunan” platform, saying that Chenzhou had another milk powder incident with a “big head doll” occurred, “all because of the doctors in Chenzhou Children’s Hospital selling milk powder to children”. The incident involved a solid beverage called “Shuertai”.

The reporter learned that some hospitals have become an important channel or medium for “three non-special medical milk powders” (no qualifications for infant formula registration, no special medical food registration qualification, and no special medical food production license).

In May 2018, the reporter visited some hospitals in Beijing and surrounding areas as parents of children with allergies and found that the in-hospital stores of the three hospitals sold certain products produced by Ningbo Teyi Food Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Jindayang Dairy Co., Ltd. Functional “formula powder”, and related products recommended by hospital doctors. After inquiries, these “formula powders” are actually solid beverages and do not have the registration qualification for special medical foods.

The reporter learned from the person in charge of Ningbo Teyi as a merchant at the time that such products mainly flowed to maternal and infant and medical channels. After paying a certain “entry fee”, they can enter the hospital’s in-store stores for sale. In addition, doctors can get a commission of about 60 yuan for each successful recommendation of a can of product. Doctors with prescribing rights, such as hospital gastroenterology, pediatrics, and children’s ICU, are all targeted by sales staff for “public relations.”

The sales manager of Jindayang Beijing said that such “special powder” is “more convenient” to sell in maternal and infant stores. Formally entering the hospital for sale requires the consent of the pediatric director first, and then goes through procedures such as a discussion at the nutrition department. Therefore, the merchant usually sells the product in the store in the hospital and then asks the doctor to recommend the patient to the store.

In response to the chaotic phenomenon of solid beverages in the above reports of the reporter, the State Administration of Market Supervision issued the “Notice on Investigating and Handling Violations of Ningbo Teyi Food Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Jindayang Dairy Co., Ltd.” in June 2019, emphasizing local levels. The market supervision department has to make an inference, targeting products that contain words such as “biology,” “medicine,” “technology,” “healthcare,” and “high-tech”. The products are misleading to consumers and formulas for special medical purposes, infant formulas, and healthy foods. For ordinary food production enterprises that are confused, strengthen supervision and management.

Nevertheless, there are still cases of fake special doctor milk powder entering the children’s mouth through the doctor’s recommendation and the shopping guide of the mother and baby store. A person in the maternal and infant industry in Jiangxi told the reporter that such “special powders” are very common in the localities. Their relatives and children were “diagnosed” by the hospital as milk allergies and recommended by doctors to nearby stores to purchase a “solid drink.” Because it was recommended by a doctor, their relatives believed in product qualification. “The doctor can get the rebate, and the maternal and infant store can use this to drain, and there’s no problem to earn a hundred or so for a can of product.”