A court in Vietnam sentenced a former beauty queen to two years in jail for falsely promoting gummies as rich in fibre on her social media channels, state media reported.
The judges found Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien guilty of deceiving customers, saying she was aware the fibre content of the candy was low at just 0.935%, VnExpress reported.
A former winner of the Thailand-based Miss Grand International beauty competition, Ms Tien received a certificate of merit from Vietnam's prime minister.
She promoted Kera Supergreens Gummies along with fellow social media influencers Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc, both of whom also received two-year sentences.
"They committed the offence intentionally and gained a large illicit profit, so strict punishment is necessary," the court said of Ms Tien and her co-defendants, according to VnExpress.
The court said Kera Supergreens Gummies was a joint venture between Ms Tien and a company set up by the two other influencers, with Ms Tien holding a 30% stake.
Last December, Ms Tien promoted the product with the other two as a healthy candy containing the equivalent of a plate of vegetables per gummy.
Investigators said the gummies contained more than 30% sorbitol, an artificial sweetener with laxative effects, along with undisclosed additives.
The court said more than 129,000 packs had been sold to over 56,000 customers for more than $650,000 (€561,000), with the three influencers netting a $473,000 (€408,000) profit.
Ms Tien gained popularity in Vietnam after winning the Bangkok beauty pageant in 2021 and received advertisement deals with brands.
