Shanghai regulator flags Vivi black sesame paste with mold 27 times safety limit
Shanghai's market regulator found a batch of Vivi brand sugar-free black sesame paste, produced on August 13, 2025, had mold counts up to 2,800 CFU/g—27 times the national limit. All five samples exceeded the standard. Vivi's customer service confirmed on September 24 that the batch was fully recalled and disposed of. The company had not issued an official written statement as of reporting. Vivi Stock's share price closed at 3.09 yuan on September 23, with a market cap of 5 billion yuan.
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Cross-source coverage
Common ground
- Both sides agree that the mold contamination in Vim Share's black sesame paste is a real issue that required action.
- Both agree that the Shanghai regulator caught the problem and published the data, showing the regulatory system functioned.
- Both agree that the company's recall of the affected batch was a necessary step.
- Both agree that the stock was already declining before the incident, indicating pre-existing investor concerns.
Points of contention
- Neutral Agent argues the 100% failure rate in that batch shows a systemic company failure, while Eastern Agent says the 99.63% overall pass rate proves it's an isolated anomaly.
- Neutral Agent says the company's silence before the recall signals disorganization or cover-up, while Eastern Agent says the recall itself is accountability and speed is just optics.
- Eastern Agent insists Western media bias amplifies the story unfairly, while Neutral Agent says the mold count is a biological fact regardless of who reports it.
- Neutral Agent demands third-party audits to rebuild trust, while Eastern Agent says that's moving the goalposts and the system already worked.
Blind spots
- Neither side fully addresses why the company's internal quality control failed to catch a 27x mold exceedance before shipping.
- Both focus on the company and media, but neither discusses the long-term health impact on consumers who may have eaten the contaminated product.
- The debate ignores whether similar risks exist in other products from the same company or industry.
WorldAttention’s read
The core issue is a specific company's quality control breakdown, not a failure of China's food safety system. The regulator caught the problem and the company recalled the product, but the company's delayed response and silence hurt investor trust. While Western media may have biases, the mold contamination is a real health risk. To rebuild confidence, Vim Share needs to release a transparent third-party audit of its production process and explain why five out of five samples from one batch failed. The system worked, but the company didn't communicate well, and that's the real lesson for investors.
Reporting timeline
Vivi Black Sesame Paste Found with 27 Times Mold Limit, Company Responds
The Shanghai Market Supervision Administration announced a food safety inspection result showing that a batch of 'Vivi' brand sugar-free black sesame paste, produced by Vini Huashan Walnut Industry Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivi Stock, was deemed substandard due to severe mold contamination. The batch, in 320g bags and produced on August 13, 2025, had mold counts in all five samples exceeding the national standard limit, with the highest reaching 2800 CFU/g, 27 times the limit. On September 24, Vivi's official flagship store customer service responded that the company had immediately recalled and disposed of the batch, and that no such products remain on the market; all current products have passed strict testing. As of the close on September 23, Vivi Stock's share price was 3.09 yuan, with a market cap of 5 billion yuan, down over 9% year-to-date.
Read sourceVivi black sesame paste recalled after mold exceeds safety limit by 27 times
Shanghai's market regulator released its 2026 food safety inspection results, revealing that a batch of Vivi brand sugar-free black sesame paste, produced by a subsidiary of Vivi Stock (600300), failed inspection. Five samples from the batch all exceeded the mold limit, with the highest reading at 2800 CFU/g, 27 times the national standard of 100 CFU/g. The product, manufactured on August 13, 2025, and sold by a Shanghai distributor, was flagged for severe hygiene control failures across production, storage, and transport. Health experts warn that consuming such contaminated food can cause acute gastrointestinal illness and long-term liver and kidney damage from fungal toxins. On September 24, a Vivi customer service representative told reporters that all affected products had been recalled. As of the report, Vivi Stock had not issued an official written statement.
Read sourceVivi black sesame paste recalled after mold exceeds China's limit by 27 times
Shanghai's market regulator announced that Vivi brand 'no added sugar' black sesame paste, produced by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivi Stock (600300), failed a food safety inspection. Five samples from the batch, produced on August 13, 2025, all exceeded the national mold limit of 100 CFU/g, with the highest reading reaching 2,800 CFU/g—27 times the standard. Health experts noted that such high mold levels indicate severe spoilage risks, potentially causing acute gastrointestinal illness or long-term liver and kidney damage from fungal toxins. The company's customer service stated on September 24 that the affected batch had been recalled and fully handled, and that no contaminated products remain on the market. Vivi has not yet issued an official written statement. The incident points to possible hygiene failures in production, storage, or transport.
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Shanghai Regulator Flags 7 Substandard Food Batches, Vivi Black Sesame Paste Exceeds Mold Limit 27-Fold
The Shanghai Municipal Market Regulation Bureau released its 25th provincial food safety inspection results of 2026, identifying seven batches of substandard products. Among them, a batch of 'Vivi' brand no-added-sucrose black sesame paste (320g per bag, produced on August 13, 2025) manufactured by Vivi Huashan Walnut Industry Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vivi Stock, and sold by Shanghai Shenyou Food Sales Co., Ltd. Minhang Branch, failed mold testing. The five samples tested showed mold counts of 330, 2800, 1500, 1800, and 1700 CFU/g, all exceeding the national standard maximum of 100 CFU/g as per GB 19640-2016. The highest reading was 27 times the limit. The regulator stated that local authorities will investigate and handle the non-compliant products and producers, enforce legal actions, and urge companies to fulfill their obligations, with results to be disclosed by the relevant local market supervision departments.
Read sourceVim Share Black Sesame Paste Fails Mold Test, 27 Times Over Limit, Company Silent
Shanghai's market regulator has flagged a batch of 'Vim' brand sugar-free black sesame paste as unsafe due to severe mold contamination. Tests on five samples all exceeded the national standard, with the highest reading reaching 2,800 CFU/g, 27 times the permitted limit. The product is manufactured by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vim Share Co., Ltd., a long-established Chinese food company. Industry analysts suggest the failure points to serious weaknesses in the company's internal quality control. 21st Century Business Herald attempted to contact Vim Share through multiple channels, including its main switchboard and securities department, but the company had not responded by the time of publication.
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