Tongrentang Manager Fired After Krill Oil Found With 0% Phospholipids

Beijing Tongrentang Group, one of China's best-known traditional Chinese medicine brands, said on Thursday it has removed a subsidiary's general manager and filed complaints against more than 120 online stores accused of misusing its brand, after a krill oil product linked to the company failed a quality test and drew regulatory scrutiny.

The move followed tests by the Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission, which found that a product marketed as "Beijing Tongrentang 99% High-Purity Antarctic Krill Oil" contained no phospholipids, a key component of genuine krill oil.

In response, Tongrentang ordered Li Shengyi to step down as general manager of its Sichuan subsidiary, which is involved in the incident, dispatched a task force to take over its operations and suspended other senior managers pending further investigation.

It has also launched a nationwide review of brand usage and lodged complaints against more than 120 online stores falsely claiming links to Tongrentang, Jiefang Daily reported.

Tongrentang said its authorization for the Sichuan company to use the "Tongrentang" name and trademark expired in March 2021 and was not renewed. It said it is cooperating with a joint investigation by authorities in Sichuan and has submitted evidence related to alleged trademark infringement.

The group said it is pushing for the removal and recall of the products involved, issuing notices to major e-commerce platforms and monitoring listings daily to block sales channels.

It has also launched an online product verification system covering more than 1,000 officially authorized products, helping consumers identify authentic items.

The regulator said it will soon issue new rules governing outsourced dietary supplement production, covering practices such as trademark licensing, franchising, and supplied-material processing, and clarifying food safety responsibilities for both commissioning firms and contracted producers.