Quantum health products, anti-aging functional foods? Pseudo-concepts, real traps!

Quantum health products dressed in high-tech garb, anti-aging functional foods under the banner of new concepts, anti-Helicobacter pylori toothpaste claiming to be a new therapy... As the Spring Festival approaches, it is the peak consumption season again, and the phenomenon of pseudo-concept marketing is on the rise again. Consumers may pay the "IQ tax" if they are not careful.

“Startling by Each Step”: Is the concept marketing all a scam?

Consumers are increasingly favoring products that promote health, but there are many health products on the market, and the quality varies. Consumers often end up spending too much without seeing any real results. The reporter found out that the phenomenon of pseudo-concept marketing is mainly manifested in the following three aspects:

"Hitchhiking" high technology to collect "IQ tax". A biotechnology company recently advertised on its company website that the "quantum wine" it produces and puts on the market uses quantum technology to increase the vibration frequency, enhance the energy of health factors, and has the effect of wine therapy. Wu Qilai, associate professor of the Department of Science and Technology Communication at the University of Science and Technology of China, pointed out that the relevant departments have specifically refuted the rumor, and all kinds of "quantum products" on the market have been proven to be unreliable, but quantum water, quantum fertilizer, quantum massage, quantum insoles, quantum medicine and other products are still common.

Creating "new terms" to increase confusion. "Graphene radio frequency", "CES therapy", "Aminis molecule"... The reporter used keywords such as "anti-aging", "sleep aid", "hair growth" and so on to search on major online sales platforms, and a large number of products came to him, among which those "high-end" words were particularly eye-catching.

Ms. Peng, a citizen of Nanchang, said that she was eager to be beautiful and was attracted by the "high-frequency vibration deep cleansing" technology claimed in advertisements. She spent more than 1,000 yuan to buy a facial cleanser from abroad. After using it for a while, she felt that the effect was not good, so she put it on the shelf and started to research other new products. She now has no less than ten different cleansing and skin care devices at home.

Advocating "raw material myths" promotes "superstitious consumption". Retinol anti-wrinkle, hyaluronic acid moisturizing... The reporter found that recently, merchants have been talking about "raw materials" and "ingredients" in marketing, and some ingredients are said to have magical effects. Take stem cells as an example. Some merchants claim that cosmetics such as "umbilical cord blood mask", "plant stem cells" and "placenta extract essence" all contain stem cell ingredients, which can repair skin cell damage, prolong cell life and resist aging.

"Currently, there is no research on the use of stem cells in beauty and anti-aging." Wu Qilai said that the "Catalogue of Used Cosmetic Ingredients" revised and issued by the National Medical Products Administration in 2021 does not include cosmetic ingredients with the name "stem cells". The labels of cosmetics claiming to contain "stem cells" are clearly in violation of regulations.

“Seeing flowers in the fog”: Has the knowledge blind spot become a “disaster area”?

The above-mentioned chaos in the current consumer field reflects that some businesses take advantage of consumers' blind spots in knowledge and exploit legal loopholes to make profits.

Traps are set by confusing concepts. Last year, a popular online beverage product issued an apology statement, saying that the difference between "0 sugar" and "0 sucrose" was not explained in the product labeling and promotion of the milk tea product, which could easily cause misunderstanding. "I was attracted by the slogan of '0 sugar, 0 fat, 0 calories', but in the end I found that I was just 'drinking for nothing'," said Zeng Chuan, a "post-90s" consumer who often buys the beverage.

Industry insiders believe that "0 sucrose ≠ 0 sugar" is a difference that ordinary consumers can easily confuse, and businesses are skirting the issue by confusing the concepts.

They try to evade supervision by wearing "vests". For example, some businesses create concepts such as "smooth and white" instead of "whitening". However, according to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the People's Republic of China, the Advertising Law of the People's Republic of China and other laws and regulations, the promotion of the functions and uses of cosmetics has no sufficient scientific basis and is false information that does not conform to reality, which leads to consumers being deceived and misled, and may involve false propaganda, and need to bear corresponding legal responsibilities. Dai Shuchen, a lawyer at Nanchang Hanzhongchun Law Firm, believes that these are just tricks used by businesses to evade punishment.

The reason some unscrupulous businesses are keen on taking shortcuts and playing with concepts is the desire for huge profits. For example, the price of a tube of "anti-Helicobacter pylori toothpaste" ranges from tens to hundreds of yuan, which is 3 to 10 times the price of regular toothpaste of the same specifications.

Prior to this, the "Science Rumor-Refuting Platform" sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology, the National Health Commission and others published an article denying that "brushing teeth can cure HP (Helicobacter pylori)."

How can pseudo-concept marketing grow wildly?

Industry insiders believe that in some areas currently, various pseudo-concept marketing campaigns are emerging one after another, which damages the vital interests of some consumers and even interferes with the current normal Spring Festival market order. In the long run, it will also have an adverse impact on the healthy development of the industry and should be a cause for vigilance.

A website conducted a small survey titled "What have you paid for because you love beauty?" Many consumers listed various products such as "enzymes, hydrogen water (hydrogen-rich water)/oxygen-rich water, negative ion water blowers, volcanic mud cleansers, energy bracelets, oral collagen", etc. Many of these products have been proven to be false concept products.

"The misuse of concepts brings great harm to the industry and even leads to 'bad money driving out good money'." The head of a biotechnology company in Jiangxi believes that if consumers are fooled once, they will always be skeptical, and as a result, truly valuable new products will be affected.

Wu Qilai suggested that a national authoritative science communication platform should be established to promptly remind the public of some uncertain information and enhance the public's ability to discern scientific and technological products.

In recent years, regulatory authorities have continuously improved the regulatory system and issued new regulations such as the "Catalogue of Nutrient Supplements in Health Food Ingredients (2020 Edition)" and the "Regulations on the Management of Cosmetic Registration and Filing Materials" to effectively protect consumer rights and promote the healthy development of the industry.

In the face of regulatory challenges, Dai Shuchen and others suggested that a regulatory system with clear division of labor should be further established and improved. While establishing specialized agencies to be responsible for the supervision of "technology" products, it is necessary to continuously improve the professional quality of law enforcement personnel through strengthening training and other means, and to enhance the pertinence and timeliness of supervision.

Producer: Lu Gang | Editor: Zhao Cen | Proofreader: Zhang Hui

Source: Xinhua Daily Telegraph, January 28

Author: Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporters Hu Jinwu, Cui Lu, Yao Ziyun