Defendants, including Asia Life chairman Nguyễn Phong (standing), at the trial in Đắk Lắk Province over the production of counterfeit Kera gummies and other food products. — Photo courtesy of police

ĐẮK LẮK — The chairman of Asia Life JSC was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for directing the production of nearly 168,000 boxes of counterfeit Kera gummies, in the latest verdict in a scandal involving some of Việt Nam’s best-known social-media influencers.

Nguyễn Phong, 40, was convicted of producing counterfeit food and fined VNĐ100 million (over US$3,800), according to the Đắk Lắk People’s Court.

His wife, Nguyễn Phạm Hồng Vy, 39, Asia Life’s director and legal representative, was sentenced to 11 years and six months for producing counterfeit food and tax evasion and fined VNĐ150 million.

Six other defendants received prison terms ranging from one to six years.

According to the indictment, Asia Life produced 167,963 boxes of Kera gummies and three other dietary supplement products between September 2024 and October 2025. The four products were valued at more than VNĐ6.25 billion ($237,000).

Investigators said Phong and Vy directed employees to use raw materials whose actual content was below 70 per cent of the levels declared in product dossiers and on packaging.

Testing found that Kera gummies did not contain the 10 types of vegetables, tubers and fruit powders declared at the stated level. The product also contained 33.8 per cent sorbitol, an ingredient not listed on its label.

The court also found that Asia Life had failed to declare more than VNĐ16 billion in revenue, causing a tax loss of more than VNĐ3.34 billion.

Kera scandal

The Kera scandal erupted publicly in early 2025 after social-media personalities Nguyễn Thị Thái Hằng (known as Hằng Du Mục) and Phạm Quang Linh (known as Quang Linh Vlogs) promoted the product with former Miss Grand International 2021 Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên.

They promoted the gummies as a source of vegetable fibre, including a widely criticised claim that one gummy was equivalent to a plate of vegetables.

In a separate trial in HCM City in November 2025, Hằng Du Mục, Quang Linh Vlogs, and Thùy Tiên were each sentenced to two years in prison for deceiving customers over the sale and promotion of Kera gummies.

The Kera product was registered by Chị Em Rọt Group and manufactured by Asia Life in Đắk Lắk. Authorities launched investigations after consumers questioned the promotional claims.

An independent test reported in March 2025 found that a box containing 30 gummies had only 0.51 grams of fibre, prompting widespread criticism. Việt Nam News and Law reported extensively on the controversy, including the food-safety investigation, administrative penalties against Asia Life and the subsequent criminal cases.

The latest verdict concerns the manufacturing of the products, while the earlier HCM City case dealt with the deception of customers through their sale and promotion.

The cases have intensified scrutiny of food manufacturers and social-media influencers in Việt Nam, where celebrity endorsements have become an increasingly important part of online commerce. — VNS