A month after the tragic death of a boy at the Shenzhen Japanese School due to a stabbing incident, anti-Japanese sentiments in Chinese society are still running high. Recently, China’s leading infant formula brand, “Feihe,” faced a wave of unfounded attacks and boycotts on mainland social media platforms after expressing intentions for a technical cooperation with a Japanese biotechnology company, forcing them to publicly clarify the situation and seek legal action.
On October 18th, Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co., Ltd. issued a statement through official channels, stating that there have been numerous unfounded claims circulating on the internet recently regarding the “import of Japanese ingredients by Feihe,” which not only misled consumers but also severely tarnished Feihe’s brand reputation. Feihe has reported the matter to the public security authorities.
To understand why Feihe was rumored to “import Japanese ingredients,” we have to go back to the signing of an intent of cooperation agreement in October this year.
On October 3rd, Feihe and Japan’s Kyowa Fermentation signed a mutual intent of technical cooperation, announcing the establishment of a joint innovation laboratory. The “Joint Innovation Laboratory” between the two parties aims to develop production technology for lactoferrin through fermentation processes. They plan to explore new methods to simulate breast milk in infant formula by leveraging their respective research expertise and fermentation technologies to produce functional components found in breast milk, such as lactoferrin.
Following the news, unfounded attacks emerged on mainland social media, alleging that “Feihe received investment from a Japanese company” and “Feihe imports Japanese materials.” Some even connected this to Japan’s discharge of treated nuclear water, sparking panic and resistance among many mainland Chinese internet users. Some expressed concerns saying, “We can’t gamble with our children’s health; Japanese people can’t be trusted,” while others said, “We can’t entrust our babies’ health to the Japanese.”
The rumors continued to escalate and even trended on social media search lists. Feihe’s WeChat account released a statement on the 18th in response to the situation.
The statement addressed the recent rumors surrounding the “Chinese Feihe’s technical cooperation intent with Japan’s Kyowa Fermentation,” which included numerous unfounded claims about “Feihe importing Japanese materials,” misleading consumers and damaging Feihe’s brand reputation severely.
The statement affirmed that the company has filed a police report, and the authorities have initiated an investigation, reserving the right to hold those responsible for disseminating or reposting such infringing and unfounded content accountable under the law.
Furthermore, the statement emphasized that Feihe collaborates with numerous domestic and international universities and research institutions, pooling global cutting-edge research resources to create better infant formulas, all aimed at serving Chinese babies better. The cooperation with Kyowa Fermentation is solely for technical exchange and does not involve the import of raw materials or formula usage.
Feihe’s official website indicates that the company was founded in 1962 at Zhao Guang Farm in Heilongjiang, making it one of the earliest infant formula companies in mainland China.