Vietnam beauty queen jailed for falsely promoting gummies as rich in fibre

Hanoi - A court in Vietnam sentenced a former beauty queen to two years in jail on Nov 19 for falsely promoting gummies as rich in fibre on her social media channels, state media reported.

The judges found Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien guilty of deceiving customers, saying she was aware the fibre content of the candy was low at just 0.935 per cent, VnExpress reported.

A former winner of the Thailand-based Miss Grand International beauty competition, Tien received a certificate of merit from Vietnam’s prime minister.

She promoted Kera Supergreens Gummies along with fellow social media influencers Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc, both of whom also received two-year sentences.

“They committed the offence intentionally and gained a large illicit profit, so strict punishment is necessary,” the court said of Tien and her co-defendants, according to VnExpress.

The court said Kera Supergreens Gummies was a joint venture between Tien and a company set up by the two other influencers, with Tien holding a 30 per cent stake.

Last December, Tien promoted the product with the other two as a healthy candy containing the equivalent of a plate of vegetables per gummy.

Investigators said the gummies contained more than 30 per cent sorbitol, an artificial sweetener with laxative effects, along with undisclosed additives.

The court said more than 129,000 packs had been sold to over 56,000 customers for more than US$650,000 (S$850,000), with the three influencers netting a US$473,000 profit.

Tien gained popularity in Vietnam after winning the Bangkok beauty pageant in 2021 and received advertisement deals with brands. AFP