The Chinese company Yeshu has been put in the hot seat for promoting their beverage with the false promise of whiter skin and bigger breasts.
Yeshu (also known as Coconut Palm Group) is a drink brand that distributes internationally. Their products can be found across Asia and even in certain Western countries.
The company has come under fire for a misleading advertisement which claims that drinking a can a day would maker you more pale and bosomy. These claims are accompanied by images of pale-skinned women in revealing clothing.
The company has claimed that their advertising is based on traditional Southeast Asian beliefs. Popular thinking even in the 90s was that coconut juice had breast enhancing and skin whitening qualities. While coconut juice does contain cytokinins which help the body to regenerate with a kind of anti-aging effect, the bolder previous claim has no backing from modern science.
Despite the outcry on social media, Coconut Palm has stated they have not altered the recipe to better reflect these claims or to remove controversial ingredients. The current recipe includes no ingredients proven to increase breast size or give paler skin.
In 2013, Hong Kong authorities tried to crack down on false advertising, particularly in the beauty industry. The Trade Descriptions Ordinance added a section to protect against unfounded medical claims and false advertisement by companies.
The Coconut Palm Group received a small fine of a $145 for the advertisement.
This is not the first time Yeshu has been under fire either. In 2015, Coconut Palm drinks were recalled all over the world as they contained milk even though it was not listed on the product label.
Check out the commercial below.
Source: Nextshark , Inspection and South China Morning Post
