According to the report of the Department of Health of Dong Nai province, implementing the direction of the Department of Food Safety in Official Dispatch No. 805/ATTP-NDTT dated April 22, 2025, the Department of Health of Dong Nai province chaired an interdisciplinary meeting on May 15 to clarify product advertising information related to Nestle Vietnam Co., Ltd.
At the meeting, representatives of Nestle Vietnam Co., Ltd. provided documents related to three products: "Nestle Milo Milk 3-in-1 Barley Supplement", "Nestle Milo Barley Supplement", and "Nestle Milo Barley Supplement". Of which, only the final product used the information of the Nutrition Institute on the label and communication activities.
Nestle Vietnam affirmed that it only uses the information of the Nutrition Institute on the product label of "Nestle Milo Barley Milk Supplemental Food", other products do not use the name of this Institute at all.
The company also provided a document confirming the Institute of Nutrition (January 25, 2024) on the research results showing that the product combined with physical education helps improve physical qualities in primary school students after 3 months of use.
While waiting for instructions from the authorities, Nestle Vietnam has proactively stopped all advertising activities related to the Institute of Nutrition on television, digital platforms, social networks and billboards. At the same time, the company has asked partners to stop posting related content and plan to change product packaging, expected to launch in September 2025.
The Inspectorate of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai province said that in 2025, it has received and handled at least one case of outdoor advertising for Milo products using the phrase "clinical testing by the Institute of Nutrition" without notifying advertising content according to regulations.
Dong Nai Department of Health has asked Nestle Company to review advertising activities, sign contracts with partners to advertise in accordance with the law, and explain the process of product announcement. Along with that, the Department is coordinating to set up a inspection team, verify the case and request the Food Safety Department to guide some professional issues, such as the use of research results in advertising, as well as the legality of advertising content related to health organizations.
On May 19, 2025, the Food Safety Department (Ministry of Health) said that it had sent an official dispatch requesting the National Institute of Nutrition and the Department of Health of Dong Nai province to urgently inspect and verify information advertising Nestle Milo products related to the clinical trial report.
In response to the reflection on the use of research content from the Nutrition Institute in Milo advertising, the department has sent a document requesting handling according to the provisions of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP and Directive 17/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister.
Recently, public opinion has been stirred by the advertisement on Nestle Milo barley milk packaging: "Clinically tested by the Institute of Nutrition".
The National Institute of Nutrition confirmed that this content is related to a grassroots study in collaboration with Nestle Vietnam, conducted on 576 primary school students in Ninh Binh. Research shows that physical education products help improve physical fitness qualities, but do not record clear nutritional and intellectual effects. Because this is not a true clinical study, the institute has asked Nestle to review and remove inappropriate advertising content.
