Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien (second from left) and two other members of the Asia Life Corporation on May 19
Tien, 26, was detained on Monday following an investigation into the marketing and production of “Kera vegetable candy,” a product promoted as a healthy alternative to green vegetables. She is being investigated under Clause 2, Article 198 of Vietnam’s Penal Code for allegedly deceiving consumers.
Authorities claim Tien held a 30 percent stake in the business behind Kera, alongside partners Nguyen Thi Thai Hang, widely known as Hang Du Muc, and Pham Quang Linh, known online as Quang Linh Vlogs. Both were arrested in early April on similar charges.
According to investigators, the company falsely advertised Kera candy using slogans such as “one piece equals a plate of vegetables,” while concealing the presence of sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that made up 35 percent of the product and has a laxative effect. Despite packaging that claimed 28 percent vegetable powder content, testing found it contained less than 1 percent.
The product’s promotional campaign was aggressively pushed across social media platforms. Tien, who has more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, appeared in livestreams and posts endorsing the candy as safe and beneficial for both children and adults. She later deleted the content after public complaints surfaced.
Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien during a livestream session to sell Kera candy alongside partners Nguyen Thi Thai Hang and Pham Quang Linh. Both Hang and Linh are arrested in early April on similar charges.
Police estimate that over 135,000 units were sold to more than 30,000 customers, generating more than VND 17 billion (approximately USD 670,000) in revenue.
Several senior figures from Asia Life Corporation and Chi Em Rot Company, which jointly produced the candy, have also been indicted. Executives Truong Thi Le and Tran Thi Le Thu are currently in custody for allegedly producing counterfeit food, while others such as Pham Thi Diem Trinh and Nguyen Pham Hong Vy have been released due to pregnancy or caregiving responsibilities.
In April, Tien was fined VND 25 million (USD 1,000) for failing to disclose paid advertisements in her online promotional activities related to the product.
Tien rose to fame after being crowned Miss Grand International in Thailand in 2021. She was previously honoured by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union as one of Vietnam’s outstanding young figures in the arts. Beyond pageantry, she has appeared in music videos and films.
Her arrest has shocked fans and attracted widespread media coverage, fuelling concerns over the influence of celebrity endorsements in Vietnam’s fast-growing social media-driven e-commerce sector and the lack of accountability in health product marketing.
