Recently, a consumer in Hunan Province raised concerns as multiple dead insects were found inside the packaging of a “Tao Tao Oxygen Cotton” sanitary napkin labeled as “disinfectant grade”, sparking attention after videos of the incident circulated online.
On July 7th, Ms. Chen purchased a 6-pack of the “Tao Tao Oxygen Cotton” Tian Shan White series night use sanitary napkins for 12.6 yuan at the Jiafu Le Life Supermarket in Luyang City, Hunan. She stated that the packaging of the product was intact at the time of purchase, and it was kept on the living room table at home with air conditioning constantly on. When she opened and used the napkins on July 26th, due to her nearsightedness, she did not notice anything unusual until her family pointed it out after she had used two pieces. Upon closer inspection, she found over a dozen dead insects of various sizes inside the packaging.
Ms. Chen mentioned that the product was advertised as having a national standard disinfectant grade, and she had been using it for a long time out of trust which is why she continued to purchase it. After contacting the official flagship store of the brand on social media, customer service cited “not purchased from our store” as a reason and advised her to contact the offline supermarket or the manufacturer listed on the packaging. She then posted a video on social media for consumer rights protection, but some content was taken down by the brand for “defamation.” She has filed a complaint with 12315 and is currently awaiting the outcome.
Following the exposure of the incident, a person claiming to be a customer service representative from the brand’s manufacturer contacted Ms. Chen, suggesting she return the faulty product or arrange for on-site verification. However, Ms. Chen refused due to privacy concerns and the inability to verify the person’s identity. The representative left a phone number but has not contacted her since.
When reporters from the Yangtze Evening News contacted the manufacturer’s official customer service, they stated that they had not yet received the corresponding complaint record. If the situation is true, the manufacturer needs to conduct a professional verification of the faulty product, which can include sending samples for testing at the factory or arranging for local personnel to verify the issue to determine the cause. As of the report, both parties have not reached a unified solution.
The incident became a trending topic on Weibo on August 4th. Discussions among netizens varied, with some questioning the brand’s quality control and others suggesting that it might be related to the storage environment. The customer service of the brand’s official flagship store later responded that they had been in contact with the consumer to confirm the cause of the issue, assured that it would be handled properly, and emphasized that the product complies with national safety standards and has passed tests by authoritative agencies.
Public information shows that “Tao Tao Oxygen Cotton” is a domestic sanitary napkin brand under Guilin Jieling Industrial Co., Ltd., which was launched in 2009. It emphasizes the selling points of “disinfectant grade” and “pure cotton,” with the product meeting the national disinfectant grade standard (no detection of fungi) and featuring a pure cotton surface layer as the core characteristic. The company has multiple production bases and a wide sales network across the country.
The incident is still under investigation, and the final cause will depend on the official verification results for clarification. As hygiene products directly contact the human body, quality and safety are of utmost concern. Similar complaints have been raised against other brands in the past. If consumers notice anything unusual, it is recommended to retain evidence and promptly report it to the regulatory authorities.