Celebrities Wary of Food Endorsements

Staff Correspondent

Edited by: James M. Kelly

Photo Courtest of Blogspot.

According to the latest draft law celebrities will now share the legal responsibility for advertising food products that are found unsafe and unfit for human consumption.

The draft food safety law specifies that all social organisations and individuals who now recommend unsafe food products in ads shoulder “joint liability” with food producers if the products harm consumers’ rights and interests.

The draft was submitted for review on Wednesday February 25 to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Law professor Yang Lixin from Renmin University of China explains that “joint liability” means that consumers can demand compensation from both the unsafe food’s producers and the celebrities that appear in the advertisements.

Liu Xirong, the deputy director of the NPC Law Committee told the China Daily that the change was in a response to the many legislators’ complaints about false or exaggerated food advertisements where a lot of them are featuring celebrities. It is said that the ads have been cheating and misleading the consumers.

He continued with the fact that they did consider it necessary to enforce stricter controls over food advertisements.

The new draft also bans food supervision authorities, and industry and consumer associations from recommending food products to consumers in advertisements or in any other form. And if the companies do not comply with the new laws, their directors or those with direct responsibility may face demotion or instant dismissal.

Since the melamine scandal in September started, unsafe food product advertisements became a major issue.

Many citizens have wondered it the celebrities who promoted the tainted products, especially those for the Sanlu Group should also share the responsibility for the six infants who died and the other 30,000 people who became ill.

Head of Peking University’s advertising department Chen Gang said he welcomed the legislation.

He told the China Daily that celebrities enjoy the vast social influence. It is a known fact that it is easier for the public believes something a celebrity says compared to an ordinary person.

Chen strongly believes that stricter controls are needed when it comes to food advertisement because food products can directly affect human health.

Some legal experts have mentioned that the law is well intended but it seems to have gone a little too far.

Yang explained how the rule aims to prevent the celebrities from abusing their influence, which is necessary, but actually subjecting them to joint liability does seem to be a bit too harsh.

NPC Law Committee member Wang Liming expressed how he felt and said that it was a bit unfair to put celebrities who appear in food advertisements on the same tier of legal responsibility as food producers.

The China Daily stated Wang saying, “There’s no doubt food producers should shoulder the primary responsibility if there are food incidents.”

Wang also believes that celebrities who recommend unsafe food products in commercials should bear some sort of responsibility.

The China Daily stated Yang saying, “It should matter whether the celebrities were or were not aware the food products were unsafe. Joint liability should apply to those who were.”

Jiang Wenjuan, agent of famous mainland actress Jiang Wenli stated that the new rule will now only force celebrities to think twice before appearing in food advertisements.

The China Daily stated her saying, “We’re already very careful about doing such ads. We usually ask for all relevant government certification to prove the products are safe. But if such a stipulation becomes law, it’s certain that we’ll be even more careful.”

Jiang also mentioned how the celebrities do occasionally sign a contract with the food producers stating that the star will bear no responsibility in the case of consumer complaints.