Recently, a popular candy in mainland China containing information about “Viagra” (sildenafil) has triggered a nationwide food safety panic. What is alarming is that this candy was found to contain 125 grams of Viagra per kilogram, far exceeding the clinical safety standards. It is also concerning that the company involved has been found in violation of the law for the second time.
According to reports from Red Star News and other Chinese media outlets, a candy named “Love to Enjoy” was inspected by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau, revealing that one kilogram of the candy contained as much as 125 grams of sildenafil, equivalent to 625 micrograms per piece when calculated at about 5 grams per candy, far exceeding the safe dosage of 50 to 100 micrograms per prescription drug.
The manufacturing date of this food product was May 22, 2025, and the sampling unit was Yuxihe Food Trading Company in Dongbao District, Jingmen City (sole proprietorship).
Sildenafil, commonly known as “Viagra,” is a prescription drug prohibited from being added to ordinary food. Prolonged or improper consumption may lead to health risks such as dizziness, sudden drops in blood pressure, and liver and kidney damage, especially posing significant dangers to children, women, and patients with cardiovascular diseases.
This candy was previously reported and investigated for the same issue in September 2025, but the company evaded communication, closed down the registered address of the involved online store, and currently, relevant products cannot be found for inquiry.
Within just half a year, the implicated candy product changed its packaging and continued to be sold secretly in the market, causing outrage among netizens.
It is reported that the “Love to Enjoy” candy that was sampled has an online store named “Brilliant Men’s Department Store” on a certain online shopping platform, through which this candy was being sold.
According to Jiangsu News, on May 11, it was discovered that there were several products containing the name “Love to Enjoy” available for sale on JD.com, promoted by vendors as “men’s health products,” among others. When questioned if these products were candies, many vendors denied it. Moreover, the packaging of these products did not display the name “Love to Enjoy,” and when asked if the product names were “Love to Enjoy,” some vendors suggested referring to the images on the detailed pages for confirmation.
Meanwhile, on Xianyu, the term “Love to Enjoy” briefly became a trending search.
Despite the exposure of this incident, netizens have been discussing, “Still selling after being reported? Parents need to be more cautious when choosing snacks for their children.” “Each candy costs about 20 yuan, while a ‘Viagra’ pill costs 10 yuan each.” “Just by the name, it’s evident that it’s a functional candy, not a regular one.” “What kind of legitimate candy could have a name like this?” “Just by the name, you can tell it’s functional.”
Some online users have questioned why, after being reported and investigated, regulatory authorities did not supervise the business to immediately cease sales, recall the products, and undergo thorough rectification. Why is this particular business still able to circumvent the rules?
A post by blogger “Really Love You” pointed out that a simple calculation shows that a typical “Love to Enjoy” candy weighs around 5 grams. With this dosage, the sildenafil content in one candy is equivalent to 6 to 12 standard “Viagra” pills. If an ordinary person accidentally consumes less than 1 gram, the intake of medication would reach the medical maximum daily dosage, indicating it’s not just eating candy, but essentially “taking medicine” or even “poisoning.” This “Love to Enjoy” candy, in appearance, bears no significant difference from regular fruit candies or milk candies, lacking any special indications. If ingested accidentally by children or the elderly at home, the consequences could be disastrous.
The article emphasizes that “especially for vulnerable groups, the risks multiply. If children ingest it, it may affect their physical development and hormone levels, even leading to premature puberty. Women who consume it may experience menstrual irregularities and hormonal imbalances. For individuals with hypertension, coronary heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases, accidental consumption may result in a sudden drop in blood pressure, which, if combined with nitrate medications, could even pose a direct life-threatening situation.”
The author also noted that what’s even more outrageous is that this “Love to Enjoy” candy is counterfeit. Personnel from the Food Inspection Division of the Shanghai Municipal Market Supervision Administration stated that this candy was produced by misappropriating information from other companies, falling under the category of “selling under false pretenses.”
As of now, both the Yuxihe Food Trading Company that was sampled and the claimed manufacturing enterprise are unreachable, indicating that the vendors have likely fled.
In fact, several popular beverages and food products in China have been found to secretly contain laxatives and Viagra. The topic of “Popular Plum Juice containing powerful laxatives in reality” and “Detection of Viagra components in some tea and coffee products” sparked online attention on March 16.
According to Chinese media reports, jelly and plum juice claiming to be the “savior of feasts” conceal powerful laxatives, while tea products marketed for their “health” benefits actually contain Viagra… Behind these “ordinary foods” containing illegally added components such as laxatives and diuretics lies a dark industry chain.