In Vietnam, the nutritional supplements market is relatively developed but unfortunately it is also chaotic as there are too many poor quality brands with false claims.
According to a recent report, there are many businesses which have fraudulently advertised their substandard products on social media like Facebook, Zalo and YouTube at high prices, convincing consumers to buy their products which have limited or no nutritional benefits. In addition, many of the products were advertised as medicinal products when they are actually just dietary supplements. Some went to the extent of engaging persons to impersonate as medical specialists to promote the ‘false’ benefits of their products.
Previously, the Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) under the Ministry of Health also warned that some health foods (dietary supplements) such as Zamasstu-new, Xavakamit, Botalyzil, and Castodi were advertised as a medicinal product (drug) causing misunderstanding to consumers.
According to statistics from the Vietnam Functional Food Association (VFFA), in addition to many imported nutritional supplements, the country currently has about 3,100 functional food production and trading establishments that supply over 12,000 products of all types for the 100 million strong consumer market. Domestically produced dietary supplements account for about 70% of the market.
Chairman of VFFA Tran Dang said that currently, around 60% of Vietnamese above 18 years old consume dietary supplements. Demand for functional foods to promote health is growing rapidly in the current age of social media.
In Vietnam, nutritional supplements are not only sold at pharmacies but also promoted on e-commerce platforms and social media channels like Facebook, Zalo, TikTok and YouTube. Unfortunately, many products are also falsely advertised as ‘miracle drugs’ leading to consumers forking out large sums of money on them.
Vietnamese authorities are facing challenges in managing and controlling this market. The diversity of business forms such as online business, multi-level business, and cross-border advertising make food watchdogs face many difficulties in management. In addition, many companies and individual traders of dietary supplements falsely advertise and promote their products as medicine for huge profits.
The use of celebrities to promote dietary supplements and share stories on the effectiveness of these products cause further confusion. The Law on Advertising in Vietnam needs to be further strengthened, where claims need to be substantiated by scientific findings. Celebrities need to also be a role models to society and check carefully on the product claims before becoming their ambassadors, otherwise they can also be charged for misleading advertisement.
