China’s internet celebrity “Da Xin,” who has two million fans, sells beef rolls on the platform and promises a “ten-thousand-fold compensation” in case of any deceit. However, when customers discovered that the beef rolls he was selling were actually synthetic, “Da Xin” refused to compensate them, leading to the news making headlines on June 3.
According to reports from multiple media outlets, “Da Xin” promoted beef rolls from his company, Dingyou Culture Media Co., Ltd. (Dingyou Culture), on a platform in China, as he wrote on the live broadcast’s cardboard, “ten-thousand-fold compensation for any deception, and supports inspection by any organization.”
Last November, Mr. Xing from Shandong purchased 4 bags of beef rolls in “Da Xin’s” live stream, spending 179.8 yuan. Upon receiving the beef rolls, Mr. Xing found that the ingredients listed on the beef rolls packaging included not only beef but also drinking water, edible salt, soy protein, modified starch, etc.
As a result, Mr. Xing lodged a complaint against “Da Xin.” On February 6 this year, the Shinxian County Market Supervision Administration in Shandong fined Dingyou Culture 65,000 yuan for false advertising.
In response to Mr. Xing’s request for compensation of 179.8 thousand yuan in accordance with the “ten-thousand-fold compensation” promised by “Da Xin,” Dingyou Culture explicitly refused to mediate on February 7. Subsequently, Mr. Xing filed a lawsuit against “Da Xin”, Dingyou Culture, as well as the seller and producer of the beef rolls in court.
On February 13, “Da Xin” posted an apology video on his Kuaishou account, but he did not acknowledge Mr. Xing’s request for compensation in accordance with the promised “ten-thousand-fold compensation.”
Currently, both parties are undergoing mediation, and if they fail to reach an agreement, the court will make a judgment.
Public data shows that in China, fake beef rolls are typically made from cheap poultry and livestock meat (such as duck, chicken, or pork), with added beef fat/lamb fat, binders (such as carrageenan, soy protein), beef flavorings, coloring agents, etc. They are then sliced, mixed, pressed into shape, frozen, and passed off as real beef rolls.
Some netizens have warned consumers that genuine beef rolls sold through legitimate channels should only contain beef without any added binders. If the price is unusually low (more than 50% below the market price for beef), if the structure becomes loose after thawing, or if the fat turns into yellow chunks when cooked or carries a chemical flavor, consumers should be wary of adulteration.
Other netizens have stated that if mistakes are made, there should be punishment, and if promises are made, they should be fulfilled.