Chinese dairy Ma Sansan investigated after consumer finds water in milk cartons
A Chinese consumer posted a video showing unopened cartons of Ma Sansan pure milk containing clear water instead of milk. The company admitted test samples were mistakenly mixed into finished products due to worker error. The Changji City Market Supervision Administration launched an investigation on September 23, 2024. Chairman Ma Liang apologized on September 24, revealing 674 orders were affected and offering refunds without requiring returns.
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Common ground
- Both sides agree that the breach of consumer trust is real and unacceptable — people paid for milk and got water instead.
- Both acknowledge that the company caught the issue internally and offered refunds to all 674 affected buyers.
- Both agree that the incident reveals a management training gap at a rapidly growing small company.
- Both recognize that the water was sterile and not a health hazard, though they disagree on whether that matters.
Points of contention
- The Eastern agent sees this as a single, isolated human error, while the Regional agent views it as a sign of systemic failure in production protocols.
- The Eastern agent argues the 48-hour apology and regulator response show accountability, while the Regional agent says that's just damage control after the fact.
- The Regional agent insists on zero tolerance for mislabeling, while the Eastern agent says a 0.1% error rate is a normal statistical reality in manufacturing.
- The Eastern agent uses comparisons to Western companies to provide context, but the Regional agent calls that whataboutism and deflection.
Blind spots
- Neither side fully addresses how the company's rapid growth through e-commerce and livestream marketing may have directly contributed to the protocol failure.
- Both focus on the company's response but don't explore what long-term changes are needed in production line design to prevent similar errors globally.
- The debate lacks a consumer's voice — no one discusses the emotional or financial impact on the 674 buyers beyond refunds.
WorldAttention’s read
This debate shows that while both sides agree the Ma San San incident was a real breach of trust, they split sharply on what it means. The Eastern agent sees a manageable, isolated mistake caught quickly by a functioning system, while the Regional agent sees a symptom of a global pattern where speed and growth outpace quality controls. The core disagreement isn't about the facts — it's about whether we judge food safety by toxicity alone or by the integrity of delivering exactly what was promised. The blind spots are clear: neither side digs into how the company's rapid digital growth may have caused the protocol failure, and the consumer's perspective is missing entirely. Ultimately, the incident is a wake-up call for all food companies, not just in China, to ensure that production lines are designed to prevent even sterile water from reaching a carton labeled as milk.
Reporting timeline
Milk Brand 'Ma San San' Apologizes After Consumer Finds Water in Carton, Exposing Quality Control Gaps
A Chinese consumer posted a video showing that a carton of 'Ma San San' pure milk, purchased from a livestream hosted by 'Dun Dun,' contained clear water instead of milk. The brand's official store apologized, attributing the incident to a production test sample being mixed into finished products due to equipment parameter adjustments. The Changji City Market Supervision Administration launched an investigation on September 23. The company's chairman, Ma Liang, issued an apology video on September 24, admitting to production management loopholes and offering refunds without requiring returns. The commentary by National Business Daily argues that the refund alone is insufficient, as the incident reveals systemic failures in quality control across the production chain. It notes that under China's Food Safety Law, consumers may be entitled to ten times the purchase price in compensation. The article warns that relying on e-commerce traffic cannot substitute for rigorous quality management, and that the company must overhaul its processes to rebuild trust. The investigation is seen as crucial for determining the root cause and ensuring accountability.
Read sourceMilk Chairman Apologizes After Customers Pour Clear Liquid From Cartons
A Chinese dairy company, Ma San San, is facing a product quality crisis after a consumer posted a video showing that two out of three unopened cartons of its pure milk contained a clear, water-like liquid instead of milk. The incident sparked widespread online discussion. On September 24, the company's chairman, Ma Liang, appeared in a video apology on the official Ma San San store account. He stated that the company had contacted the affected consumer and apologized. An investigation revealed that the same batch involved 674 orders. The company is contacting all buyers of that batch and offering a 'refund only, no return' policy. Local market regulators in Changji, Xinjiang, have launched a formal investigation into the incident. The company, Ma San San Jiang Pure Dairy Co., Ltd., issued a statement attributing the problem to a worker's sorting error, where test samples were mistakenly mixed into finished product boxes. The company said it has since reviewed its production and sorting procedures to strengthen the separation of samples and finished products.
Read sourceCommentary: 'Ma Sansan' apology and refund cannot fix quality control gap after milk incident
A Chinese consumer posted a video showing that a carton of 'Ma Sansan' pure milk, purchased from a livestream, contained clear water instead of milk. The brand apologized, attributing the issue to a production line test water mix-up due to equipment adjustment, and offered refunds without requiring returns. The Changji City Market Supervision Administration has launched an investigation. In this commentary, the author argues that the company's quick apology and refund are insufficient, as the incident reveals deep-seated quality control failures across the production chain. The author notes that under Chinese food safety law, consumers may be entitled to additional compensation beyond a simple refund. The commentary warns that relying on e-commerce traffic cannot substitute for rigorous quality management, and that the company must overhaul its processes to rebuild trust. The author calls for a thorough regulatory investigation and public disclosure of findings.
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Chinese Regulator Probes Dairy After Consumer Finds Water in Milk Cartons
On September 23, 2024, the Changji City Market Supervision Administration in Xinjiang launched an investigation into 'Ma Sansan' pure milk after a consumer video showed unopened cartons containing clear liquid instead of milk. The consumer purchased the product via livestreamer 'Dundun's'直播间. The company, Xinjiang Ma Sansan Jiangchun Dairy Co., Ltd., admitted that testing water packs—sterile water used to verify packaging seal integrity—were mistakenly mixed into finished products due to worker sorting errors. The company stated the water was safe, sterilized at 137°C for 3 seconds, and provided third-party test reports. CEO Ma Liang issued an apology video on September 24, revealing 674 orders were affected from a production batch on July 16, 2024, between 11:11 and 14:03. The company is contacting all affected consumers and offering refunds without requiring product returns. The regulator has established an on-site investigation team and urged consumers to retain products and purchase receipts. The production entity, Xinjiang Ma Sansan Dairy Co., Ltd., is a separate legal entity from the sales company.
Chinese dairy firm investigated after consumer finds water in milk cartons
On September 23, 2024, the Changji City Market Supervision Administration in Xinjiang, China, launched an investigation into dairy brand 'Ma Sansan' after a consumer posted a video showing that unopened cartons of 'Ma Sansan' pure milk poured out clear water instead of milk. The video, filmed during a livestream sale by host 'Dundun,' showed three cartons: two produced clear liquid, one normal milk. The company, Xinjiang Ma Sansan Jiangchun Dairy Co., Ltd., issued a statement on September 22 admitting that test samples—sterile water used to check packaging seals—were mistakenly mixed into finished products due to worker error. The company said the water was safe, sterilized at 137°C for 3 seconds, and provided third-party test reports. It identified the affected production period as July 16, 11:11 AM to 2:03 PM, and stated that 674 orders were involved. The company offered refunds without requiring returns for affected consumers. On September 24, company chairman Ma Liang issued a video apology, acknowledging production management flaws and pledging full cooperation with regulators. The production company, Xinjiang Ma Sansan Dairy Co., Ltd., is a separate entity from the seller. The investigation is ongoing.
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