Pang Donglai issues 150 "All Qualified" test reports in response to "Wang Hai's Evaluation": Evidence collected, will defend rights

Why Are the Differences Between AI Reporter Wang Hai’s “Review” and Pangdonglai’s Testing Results So Significant?

Red Star Capital Bureau, April 6: On April 5, Pangdonglai once again released a statement regarding “Wang Hai’s review” concerning its detection that Pangdonglai sales staff-fresh chicken eggs contained canthaxanthin when tested. Pangdonglai said that the testing reports were approximately 150 in total, and all were qualified. At the same time, with regard to “Wang Hai’s review,” Pangdonglai will pursue rights protection.

The report shows that Pangdonglai’s test results for Huang Tian’e edible raw chicken eggs were that canthaxanthin was below 0.1 mg/kg. Previously, Wang Hai disclosed that the canthaxanthin content in Huang Tian’e was 0.399 mg/kg, questioning that it conflicted with the brand’s long-standing promotional positioning, directly pointing to alleged false advertising by the brand. Huang Tian’e previously responded that the canthaxanthin “belongs to natural background levels.”

On March 25, Fengji Foods published the results of random inspections and the company’s own tests conducted by regulators in three locations. The results were also that the canthaxanthin test result was below 0.1 mg/kg, showing “not detected.” According to industry experts, there is currently no national standard for canthaxanthin content in foods. Existing testing methods cannot distinguish whether the source is natural or artificial.

Pangdonglai Releases the Testing Report It Submitted for Testing

Huang Tian’e Canthaxanthin Below 0.1 mg/kg

According to Pangdonglai’s announcement, after it noticed the related video released by “Wang Hai’s review,” Pangdonglai promptly set up an investigation team to look into the incident. It will send the fresh chicken eggs of the brands Zhengda, Deqingyuan, Yejiming, Huang Tian’e, and Shengdilei currently on sale to three testing institutions at the same time for separate testing.

Because there are many testing items, the testing reports totaled about 150. All testing was completed by April 3. The focus was on relevant indicators such as heavy metals in fresh eggs, veterinary drug residues, additives, and microorganisms. The test results were all qualified, meeting the requirements of the product execution standards and the provisions of GB/T39438-2020 “Packaged Eggs,” and GB2749-2015 “National Food Safety Standard for Eggs and Egg Products.”

Red Star Capital Bureau noted that the testing report shows that the lower limit for canthaxanthin determination was 0.1 mg/kg, and the test result for Huang Tian’e edible raw chicken eggs was “not detected.”

Pangdonglai said that it tested the canthaxanthin content in the fresh chicken eggs. Because there is currently no relevant national standard as a basis for judgment, the test values are provided only as references.

In addition, Pangdonglai’s quality management team also went to the production manufacturer for on-site verification and carried out抽 samples of feed for testing. The test results showed that all sampled feed samples were also qualified and met national feed hygiene standards. In the statement, it further explained canthaxanthin (saffron-yellow). It pointed out that it is a lawful feed additive, and its use in laying hen feed has specific permitted limits. However, for the content in fresh chicken eggs, China currently has no standard requirements.

In its statement, Pangdonglai said, “Wang Hai’s review” released a video using misleading expressions such as “dyed eggs” and “exceeding permitted limits” without verifying with the company and without any official conclusion, confusing feed additive standards with food standards. This not only misled the public, but also caused negative impacts on related brands and market order. In response, Pangdonglai said it has collected evidence regarding the alleged infringements and false information and will safeguard rights through legal means.

Wang Hai Previously Disclosed That the Canthaxanthin Content in Huang Tian’e Is 0.399 mg/kg

Huang Tian’e Previously Responded, Saying “It Belongs to Natural Background Levels”

The incident began around the period before “3·15.” On March 13, Wang Hai publicly disclosed that he had sent for testing ten types of eggs sold by Pangdonglai, and that the results all showed artificial canthaxanthin. Among them, the edible raw eggs of Huang Tian’e showed a canthaxanthin content of 0.399 mg/kg.

Huang Tian’e is a brand under Fengji Foods Group. Since it launched in 2019, it has focused on “safe, no fishy odor, nutritious, and suitable for raw consumption,” and with “no artificial coloring additives” and “egg yolk naturally golden yellow” as its main selling points, it has been referred to as the “LV in the egg world,” attracting a large number of middle- and upper-income loyal customers.

However, Wang Hai said that canthaxanthin is an artificially synthesized coloring agent, and its core role is to deepen the color of the egg yolk. The testing result in this case conflicts with Huang Tian’e’s promotional positioning over the long term, directly pointing to allegations of false advertising by the brand.

In response to the accusation, Fengji Foods took a series of actions to respond, including public statements, brand live streams, organizing media activities, and expert interview conferences.

Its core viewpoints included that canthaxanthin is not only artificially synthesized; it also exists in natural forms. It can be detected in eggs and fish and shrimp alike. Therefore, detecting canthaxanthin does not mean it was artificially added. Moreover, the canthaxanthin content detected in Huang Tian’e eggs is only 0.399 mg/kg, which belongs to “natural background levels.” It stated it has never added artificially synthesized canthaxanthin.

In response, Wang Hai, in interviews with the media, previously refuted and said his team bought Huang Tian’e eggs in Yonghui supermarkets for testing, and the result was 1.65 mg/kg.

He believed that different batches and different egg-laying hens might have variations, but a fourfold difference could not be explained by natural background levels.

Later, on March 25, Fengji Foods published the results of random inspections and the company’s own self-inspections conducted by regulators in three places (Zhejiang Changxing County, Ningxia Yuanzhou District, and Sichuan Yanting County). The results showed that the canthaxanthin test result was below 0.1 mg/kg, indicating “not detected.”

However, regarding Huang Tian’e’s statement, Wang Hai said that the test result from this round was not representative.

“First, the egg batches in Huang Tian’e’s own random inspection are not consistent with the batches tested by my team. Second, Huang Tian’e did not publicly disclose the scope and methods of its random inspections, so we cannot determine whether it was a surprise inspection or an appointment-based inspection. Different inspection approaches lead to very different results. Therefore, we hope Huang Tian’e can disclose its random inspection process.” Wang Hai said.

Wang Hai also added that Huang Tian’e previously claimed in its live stream that the egg canthaxanthin content of 0.399 mg/kg in its products belongs to natural background levels. It also claimed that even eating naturally fed feed could yield canthaxanthin detection. But the latest testing results show that the canthaxanthin content was less than 0.1 mg/kg, far lower than the previously claimed figure, directly overturning its natural background-level claim and creating internal contradictions.

There Is No National Standard for Canthaxanthin Content in Food

Existing Testing Methods Cannot Distinguish Natural or Artificial Sources

According to Guangming Daily, Wang Jianhua, a senior chief scientist and associate researcher at the Feed Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, from the active peptide team in the Gene Engineering Laboratory, said that canthaxanthin is also called canthaxanthin yellow (saffron yellow). It is a carotenoid compound that is widely present in nature. Canthaxanthin can also be synthesized artificially. In the market today, commercial products are mainly produced by synthesis. In the consumer market, there are indeed general perceptions that natural sources are safer than chemical synthesis, but the key is to analyze specific issues case by case.

Wang Jianhua emphasized: “With the same purity, synthetic products and naturally extracted ones have completely identical properties. There is no scientific evidence showing that compliant canthaxanthin obtained via chemical synthesis is more harmful than naturally extracted canthaxanthin.”

“Detection” does not equal “artificial addition.” In this incident, the biggest disputed question is: If canthaxanthin is detected, does that mean the eggs contain added color additives? Wang Jianhua’s answer was: not necessarily. “Egg yolks contain carotenoids, and laying hens cannot synthesize yolk pigments on their own. The color they display comes entirely from feed conversion—for example, corn, alfalfa, marigold, chili… As long as the feed given to the hens contains these natural ingredients, or contains feed with canthaxanthin added, canthaxanthin can be detected in the egg yolk using instruments such as a liquid chromatograph.”

Earlier, Zhu Yi, an associate professor at the College of Food Science and Nutrition Engineering of China Agricultural University, also explained at a media communication meeting about Huang Tian’e: “At present, conventional testing technology can only accurately measure the total content of canthaxanthin, but it cannot distinguish whether it comes from natural background or from artificially synthesized addition. To determine the source of canthaxanthin, it is necessary to make a comprehensive judgment based on the breeding background, feed sources, and other factors.”

Wang Jianhua said that what matters for judgment is the level of the detected values and the source, and it cannot be one-size-fits-all by equating “detection” with “illegal addition.” Then, can existing testing methods distinguish whether canthaxanthin in eggs comes from natural sources or artificial synthesis? Wang Jianhua said that currently there is a national standard, GB/T 22958-2008, for detecting canthaxanthin residue levels in fish products, but this method cannot distinguish chemical synthesis from natural sources. To date, there are no regulations with testing methods for canthaxanthin content in eggs or egg yolks, because there is no necessity or demand.

Another issue that many people care about is: Is canthaxanthin harmful to the human body? Wang Jianhua said that within normal dietary intake ranges, consuming canthaxanthin causes no harm. FAO/WHO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations / World Health Organization) stipulates that the allowed daily intake of canthaxanthin is 0–0.03 mg/kg. Taking a 70 kg adult as an example, the maximum safe daily intake of canthaxanthin is 2.1 mg. If we follow the standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs—“up to 8 mg of canthaxanthin allowed to be added per kilogram of chicken feed”—the canthaxanthin contained in a single egg is very small. Considering the amount of eggs a normal person eats per day, it will not exceed the limit. “Even if you occasionally consume slightly more, there’s no need to panic.” Wang Jianhua said that if there is long-term and large overconsumption, it may lead to “carotenemia,” a temporary yellowing of the skin. But the symptoms are reversible: once intake is reduced, it recovers, and it does not cause organic damage. Other side effects are basically none in real life.

Wang Jianhua pointed out that “the redder the yolk, the better” is not true. The depth of an egg yolk’s color mainly depends on the amount of dye-like substances in the feed, and it can be adjusted artificially. “Compared with the yolk color, the freshness of the egg is the first indicator that consumers should truly care about.”

“LV in the Egg World”

Will Middle-Class Consumers Still Pay for It?

As this incident has developed to today, it is actually no longer only a question of food safety; it is more about whether it is worth it.

Notably, among the ten egg products that Wang Hai sent for testing, there were also major brands such as Zhengda and Deqingyuan. However, in the public opinion, nearly all the “blame” ended up on Huang Tian’e, which is the most expensive.

In this regard, Feng Bin, chairman of Fengji Group and founder of the Huang Tian’e brand, has also repeatedly expressed his confusion.

According to information from Huang Tian’e’s Tmall flagship store, its edible raw eggs have ranked TOP 1 in sales revenue for high-quality eggs for five consecutive years. For a 30-count package, the price is 58.9 yuan, averaging close to 2 yuan per egg.

On the Hema App, Huang Tian’e eggs in a 15-count package cost 39.8 yuan, averaging 2.65 yuan per egg. By comparison, Huang Tian’e’s egg price is far higher than Hema’s fresh eggs at 0.6 yuan per egg, and also higher than Deqingyuan’s fresh eggs at 1.15 yuan per egg and Zhengda’s fresh eggs at 1.53 yuan per egg.

A common belief among the public is that the more “golden and yellow” the egg yolk is, the higher the nutritional value and quality of the egg. Huang Tian’e has also always emphasized “golden yolks—safer, tastier, more nutritious.” However, this controversy not only made people doubt the authenticity of yolk color, but also broke the impression that yolk color is linked to nutritional value.

Before this statement was released, Huang Tian’e’s official flagship store had already changed the wording in the product details page: it changed “does not contain synthetic coloring additives” to “does not contain artificially synthesized coloring additives,” changed “no canthaxanthin yellow” to “no artificially synthesized canthaxanthin yellow,” and added a note on the page saying “naturally, the yolk is more yellow; naturally, marigold essence is fed.”

(This article does not constitute any investment advice. Any actions taken are at your own risk.)

Editor: Yang Cheng, Xiao Ziqi; Comprehensive coverage from China News Weekly, Securities Times, Guangming Daily, Daily Economic News, and publicly available materials

Reviewed by: Wang Guangdong