Authorities in Luohe, Henan, investigate firms for falsely labeling NFC juice

Following media reports on Tuesday claiming that some NFC juice is not created by pressing or squeezing fruit, the government of Luohe, Henan province, has launched an investigation into five local beverage enterprises, according to a report by Henan Daily on Friday.

Shortly after the case drew widespread public attention, Luohe mobilized sub-district authorities, market supervision bureaus, and public security departments to conduct on-site inspections at the five implicated manufacturers.

Preliminary investigations confirmed that two companies, Henan Zanyang Beverages and Luohe Shennong Biotechnology, were suspected of false labeling on their product packages. Law enforcement agencies have filed formal cases against the two enterprises and ordered them to immediately pull all non-compliant products off shelves nationwide and recall all defective goods already sold to consumers.

Investigations into the remaining three involved manufacturers are still underway. Any illegal acts confirmed in the follow-up probe will be penalized strictly in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

A senior official from Luohe's food safety office stated that a city-wide special rectification campaign targeting beverage manufacturers and other food sectors would be rolled out. The city intends to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against false labeling and any acts that infringe on consumers' legitimate rights and interests, the official said, adding that all violations would be thoroughly investigated and severely punished without leniency.

According to earlier media reports, on-site undercover media visits to multiple contract factories in Henan found no fruit and fresh pressing equipment in some workshops. The so-called fresh fruit cold pressed juice was made entirely by blending water and concentrated raw pulp.