May 20, 2025
HO CHI MINH – Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên, 26, former Miss Grand International 2021, was arrested on Monday by the Ministry of Public Security’s Police Investigation Agency over allegations of consumer deception linked to the controversial “Kera vegetable candy” scandal.
Tiên is being investigated for “deceiving customers” under Clause 2, Article 198 of Việt Nam’s Penal Code. The case involves several high-profile individuals, including social media influencers and senior executives from Asia Life Corporation and Chị Em Rọt Company, who are accused of producing and falsely advertising substandard health food products.
Investigators allege that Tiên 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, Nguyễn Thị Thái Hằng (known as Hằng Du Mục) and Phạm Quang Linh (known as Quang Linh Vlogs), both of whom were arrested in early April on similar charges.
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. Tiên, 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 VNĐ17 billion (approximately US$670,000).
Several executives from Asia Life Corporation have also been indicted for “producing counterfeit food,” including Trương Thị Lê and Trần Thị Lệ Thu, who are currently in custody. Others, such as Phạm Thị Diễm Trinh and Nguyễn Phạm Hồng Vy, have been released due to pregnancy or child-rearing responsibilities.
In April, Tiên was fined VNĐ25 million (US$1,000) for failing to disclose sponsorship and advertisement obligations in her online promotions of the product.
Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên rose to fame after winning Miss Grand International 2021 in Thailand and was previously recognised by the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union as one of Việt Nam’s outstanding young figures in the arts. Beyond pageantry, she has appeared in several music videos and films, including the upcoming movie Chốt Đơn alongside actor Quyền Linh.
Her arrest has shocked fans and drawn widespread media attention, underscoring growing public concern over false health claims and celebrity endorsements in Việt Nam’s rapidly expanding, social media-driven e-commerce market.