Chapter 353: Cooking Oil; Milk; Competition

“ZJY food logo is not prominent.”

The lawyer who initiated this lawsuit and initiative is from Yunnan Province. Guo Yang speculates that it should be related to Lingyun Law Firm.

The lawyer publicly stated:

"I bought a 2.5-liter bottle of Golden Dragon Fish brand cooking oil at the supermarket, but the ZJY logo was on the left side of the label, with fonts as small as ants."

"At present, the safety of ZJY food is still controversial. Companies that do not clearly label ZJY food have violated relevant laws and regulations and infringed on consumers' right to know and right to choose independently."

"Therefore, together with some lawyers, I will file a civil lawsuit as a consumer against companies that do not clearly label ZJY food."

“We require Kerry Grain & Oil, Yihai Kerry, and Yunnan Walmart to recall the genetically modified cooking oils they produce and sell that do not comply with national regulations nationwide, and to replace the product labels. Only when the genetically modified food labels are clearly marked can they be sold.”

Not only in offline media, these lawyers also issued a call online, calling on lawyers from all over the country to join them.

Later, when a reporter visited the market, he found that this situation was indeed widespread.

'Non-GMO' is marked in large fonts, while 'GMO' is only indicated in small fonts in the ingredient list, where genetically modified soybeans are mentioned, which is easy to overlook.

On one hand, she is high-profile, while on the other hand, she is shy. The contrast is extremely strong.

The double standards are too obvious, which directly arouses the disgust of the consumer group.

Lawyers from all over the country also responded.

Soon, several brands of cooking oil such as Fulinmen, Xiangmanyuan and Jincaihua were also involved.

……

Beijing.

Guo Yang, who had stayed up all night, came to the office of Jiahe Grain and Oil. Last night, the men's basketball team fought hard against Spain and led by 14 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

But unfortunately they lost in overtime.

Many fans dropped their hands and stamped their feet, and started to scold the players whenever they saw one.

Guo Yang, on the contrary, thought that he played well, so he argued with the trolls online for a while.

This time the men's basketball team was placed in the death group, which includes the United States, Spain, Angola, Germany, and Greece.

If the national team wants to advance, they must beat Angola and Germany. Under normal circumstances, they would not be able to beat the other three.

Even Germany needs to fight hard, as its team has Nowitzki and Kaman, and its strength is also not weak.

The same goes for the German team. If they want to qualify, they have to beat China and Angola.

I have also made an appointment with Catherine and her family to watch this focal battle together.

After arriving at the office, Guo Yang first made himself a cup of sesame tea and took a short nap to restore his energy.

After a while, Gao De, who had made an appointment long ago, also arrived at the office.

Guo Yang listened to him talk about the dynamics of the soybean producing areas.

"Except for a minor drought in the northeast, this year the weather has been good everywhere and the soybean harvest has basically been good."

Gao De smiled, drank the tea in one gulp, and said, "From the perspective of production cost, foreign soybeans will definitely lose."

"In fact, I think the price war can be slowed down. If the relative price is lower than that of foreign countries, we can maintain our advantage."

"No." Guo Yang denied it, "We must maintain strategic focus at this time."

“The price war can only be cancelled after it is confirmed that other manufacturers will use domestic soybeans.”

"Jiahe Grain and Oil can also take this opportunity to seize more market share, so there is no need to worry about a small loss."

"Haha, I just think that once the new beans are on the market, the money will be wasted." Gao De smiled, "But, this price war is really exciting."

"Now the marketing department is reporting good news every day, saying how much market share has been captured in such and such a place."

Guo Yang smiled and said, "This is the rhythm I want."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Boss, Mr. Gao, the Golden Arowana responded."

In response to the sudden attack from lawyers from all over the country, edible oil companies did not choose to remain silent. Golden Dragon Fish responded this morning based on the national standard.

"Our genetically modified products are legal, and the labeling does not violate relevant national regulations."

"Our logo is clearly visible in the ingredients column. It is very prominent. If you can't see the words clearly, it's not prominent."

Seeing the response from Golden Arowana, Guo Yang couldn't help but praise: "International companies react very quickly!"

aside,
Gao De, who didn't know the inside story yet, laughed and said, "We were all forced to do this."

"Anyone who gets caught up in the whirlpool of public opinion about GMOs every other day would have been criticized to death if he was not happy."

Guo Yang smiled, as if it was really the case.

During the years of development of Golden Arowana in the domestic market, including in later generations, it has often been caught up in this kind of public opinion crisis.

Whether it is slander or something else, such means are very common because they are really effective.

“It’s all the result of its own actions.”

“In fact, Wilmar’s earnings this year are still good,” said Gao De. “I looked at their third-quarter report and found that the bulk of the profits came from palm oil.”

"Wilmar has more than three million mu of oil palm bases in Southeast Asia, and a large number of acquisitions, which account for more than 60% of the profits."

Guo Yang raised his eyebrows, "Does it mean that price wars are useless against it?"

"On the contrary," said Gao De. "Edible oil is a high-volume industry. The processing of soybeans and other oils accounts for the largest production capacity of Wilmar, but the profit is almost zero."

"This year, thanks to the high crude oil prices, Wilmar's revenue has been able to rise against the trend thanks to palm oil."

"This has given Wilmar a break, otherwise the domestic price war this year would have crippled it."

"It's a pity."

Since entering August, crude oil futures prices have been hovering around US$115 per barrel.

However, under the influence of factors such as the temporary easing of the Iranian nuclear crisis, the weak US economy and the strengthening of the US dollar, the fund also began to short oil futures significantly.

It should be said that a downward trend has been formed.

Wilmar will not have an easy time in the second half of this year or even next year, but the money it earned in the first half of this year and the financing from the stock market will allow it to last for a long time.

"Golden Arowana are indeed very resilient." Guo Yang said with a smile, "But during the Olympics, I guess the golden arowana will not have an easy time."

"The effect of its Olympic marketing will be greatly reduced!"

In response to Jin Longyu, the lawyers did not give in at all, and Guo Yang saw the confrontational responses on his computer.

“Conforming to national standards does not mean it is legal.”

"The national standard requires that the font height should be no less than 1.8 millimeters, which is too small and can't even be printed."

"In this case, the law and regulations outweigh the standards."

“At least the size of the GMO label should be made the same as the size of the non-GMO product label.”

After reading it together, Gaode suggested: "It would be good to do some publicity around Jiahe Grain and Oil's non-GMO label."

Guo Yang had a weird expression on his face. He was not thinking it was too big of a deal to join in the fun at this time.

But on second thought, Gaode didn't know that the GMO controversy was caused by Jiahe. If Jiahe didn't take any action, it would be more likely to arouse suspicion.

I've already done it, so I'm not afraid of this little trouble.

Guo Yang said: "You can try."

Over the next two days, while the Olympic Games were in full swing, news about the grain and oil industry could be seen from time to time.

Jiahe Grain and Oil has actually stepped up its publicity, and has openly hung non-GMO signs on the shelves of major supermarkets.

This is just rubbing salt into the wound.

The probability that housewives who go to the supermarket to buy oil will choose Jiahe Grain and Oil has greatly increased.

It’s cheap and non-GMO, this is a truly conscientious company!
The sales volume of Jiahe Grain and Oil is visibly increasing.

However, the public opinion about GMOs in the market did not die down. Instead, it showed signs of expanding as more and more lawyers responded.

And this time it is justified. Even the Ministry of Agriculture has no choice but to play the ostrich.

Under such circumstances, even the Olympics cannot completely cover up the news on the edible oil market.

It is frequently mentioned by international journalists and has even been implicated in other areas.

On the afternoon of August 14, the men's basketball team won its first victory, and outside the court, issues of food safety were repeatedly mentioned.

When Guo Yang returned to the company, one of the secretaries who was responsible for following up on the matter came to him in a hurry.

"Boss, some foreign media have begun to question the safety of domestic food, and some are even trying to link it to genetically modified organisms."

Guo Yang took the document and started reading it.

The article was published by a South Korean tabloid.

In addition to GMOs, the issue of food safety that occurred in the country in the past two years was also brought up again.

Especially the melamine incident, which happened only a year ago, was portrayed in great detail, and all kinds of groundless speculations were even more disgusting.

"This is a Chinese conspiracy. The purpose is to influence the performance of international athletes through food and other means."

"I can't imagine the torment our athletes go through every day."

"Oh, we have to stand up and condemn this behavior..."

It's totally unsound. If one had done any research, he would not have written something so illogical.

However, the possibility of this kind of low-level tabloid being spread to the country is very small, but it cannot be ignored, as it represents a sign.

If this incident really disrupts the smooth hosting of the national Olympic Games, it would be a real sin.

Guo Yang asked: "How did you find out?"

"The International Marketing Department of Hexi Dairy noticed it when promoting it in South Korea, and immediately sent it back to China."

Guo Yang: "Solution?" "President Ji and President Xie have discussed it, and Muhe will contact the forage trading company to solve the problem. The other party now relies on us for high-end forage feed."

"In China, General Ji has also reported this to the Olympic Committee and relevant departments, and will subsequently intensify publicity in this regard."

Guo Yang naturally approved of this solution.

South Korea has a small land area, with two-thirds of it being mountains and hills. Such a natural environment is not conducive to the cultivation of forage and feed, and large amounts of imports are required.

With the collapse of the American alfalfa industry, importing from the domestic market has become inevitable.

What Guo Yang is more satisfied with is the operating efficiency of Hexi Dairy.

In this list of sponsors, Hexi Dairy in the food industry is definitely among the top.

Once GMOs involve the entire food industry, the consequences will be greater than the gains.

The relevant departments also noticed this tendency to incite public opinion, and became anxious.

This public opinion must be suppressed.

Guo Yang had already secretly informed Qu Yang of the news, so he could keep quiet for a while.

Don't worry, we can file a lawsuit again after the Olympics. Anyway, we just want you to never live in peace.

The next day, many official media outlets entered the Olympic Village and conducted extensive interviews and reports on the athletes' diet during the Olympics.

The dishes combine meat, vegetables and fruits, and are fully available. When interviewed, athletes from various countries gave unanimous praise.

But there was also an American athlete who complained.

"I kept eating between matches because the food was so good. This seriously affected my chances of winning the championship. I condemn this behavior, but now I can eat as much as I want."

The reporter asked: "Why?"

"Because I was eliminated."

It is reported that this athlete had won medals in three consecutive Olympics, but this time he was eliminated early because of his love for eating.

This result made the Chinese people very happy.

But obsession with food is by no means an isolated case, but rather a common phenomenon among athletes.

According to the feedback, these people all agreed that Chinese vegetables, beef, mutton and other dishes were extremely delicious.

The vegetables supplied to the Olympics are all highland summer vegetables, and carrots, cauliflower, and Chinese cabbage are extremely popular.

But the most enthusiastic feedback comes from various types of dairy products, including fresh milk, yogurt, ice cream, honey milk and other unique products.

During the interview, athletes could be seen everywhere drinking milk and cold drinks from Hexi Dairy, and they received rave reviews and praises.

It left a deep impression on many people.

There were more than 170 million college student volunteers for the Beijing Olympics, and He Yangguang was one of them.

The weather in Beijing in August is extremely hot and humid, and I sweat profusely throughout the day.

But He Yangguang was extremely satisfied.

His family is of average financial condition, and he doesn't have much living expenses for his studies. He usually has few meat dishes, and the meals he gets as a volunteer are much better than what he gets at school.

There are meat dishes and fruits at every meal, as well as free milk and cold drinks.

That evening, after finishing his busy work as usual, he received his own lunch box and a low-temperature frozen bottle of milk.

A girl sat down next to him, Charlene, who went to the same school as him and whom he had just met recently.

"Here, I'll give you the milk. I don't want to drink it."

"You don't want to drink it again?" He Yangguang asked in confusion: "It tastes really good. This is the first time I've had milk that tastes so good."

Xia Lin smiled and said, "If it tastes good, just drink it all!"

"You are a very weird person." He Yangguang took the milk. He had gotten used to it these days. Xia Lin was very weird. He had been drinking her share of milk these days.

"Cuckoo..."

He Yangguang took a big sip and was very satisfied. "It's so refreshing! It's so icy and sweet. It's so delicious."

“Is it really that delicious?”

"Yeah." He Yangguang asked, "Why don't you drink milk?"

"Yes." Seeing He Yangguang's confusion, Xia Lin said, "It's just that my family doesn't allow us to drink domestic milk because of melamine..."

"That's it?" He Yangguang handed the milk over again, "Then you should try it."

Charlene hesitated.

"I have met so many foreign athletes today. Do you think anyone would say that Hexi Dairy's milk is not good?"

"no!"

"Athletes from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and other countries are all drinking one bottle at a time, so what else can go wrong?"

He Yangguang opened the bottle cap and said, "If you don't drink it, then I will!"

At the critical moment, Xia Lin snatched the milk back from He Yangguang.

"Who said I don't drink anymore? I just can't open the bottle cap."

He Yangguang was shocked when he touched the girl's hand for the first time, but he recovered quickly, "Tsk, it must have hurt when I was an adult, why can't I twist it open?"

Charlene ignored him and took a sip of milk. The sweet and rich taste quickly exploded in her mouth.

It was a taste I had never had before.

She finally understood why athletes liked to drink Hexi milk so much.

Seeing Xia Lin's dazed look, He Yangguang also looked at her in a daze, "It tastes good, right?"

“It tastes so good.”

Charlene narrowed her eyes in a smile.

He Yangguang suddenly felt a little regretful. Will he only be able to drink his own portion from now on?
The news that Hexi Milk's full line of products has become popular among international athletes has spread like wildfire.

This was also caught by the relevant departments and became the focus of propaganda, which quickly suppressed the popularity of genetically modified edible oil.

Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared, and there is no doubt that Hexi Dairy has already made such preparations.

In addition to all the publicity methods used to support the Olympics, a lot of video promotions were temporarily added to major terminal channels.

On the Internet, jokes about international athletes are also spreading rapidly.

Especially the American athlete who missed the medal, he has almost become Hexi's exclusive actor.

This also untied a shackle for more people, and the shadow brought by melamine has almost disappeared.

The naive look of foreigners makes Chinese people feel proud.

The recognition rate of Hexi Dairy among domestic consumers has also risen to third place, only behind Coca-Cola and Tsingtao Beer.

August 16, 8pm.

The focus battle between China and Germany begins.

As it is related to promotion, this makes domestic fans feel like they are facing a formidable enemy and they are somewhat nervous before the game.

However, Victor's family seemed a little relaxed, and the scene of everyone holding a bottle of Hexi cold drink made Guo Yang unable to help laughing.

"Here, Guo, this is for you?" Catherine handed over a bottle of fresh milk. "It tastes good. German athletes highly recommend it."

If I say this is my company's product, what would you think?
However, Guo Yang did not say much. He took the milk and tasted it. He could only say that it was not quite good enough and was still a little different from what he usually drank.

"How about it?"

"Not bad." Guo Yang changed the subject, "I'm going back in a couple of days. Have you guys discussed whether you want to travel to the northwest?"

The two did not avoid other people in their conversation.

"Guo, I'm sorry." Victor shook his head, "We came here specifically to watch the game."

Katherine said, "Actually, John and I want to go, but the men's basketball game won't be over for a while yet."

"You can come after the game." Guo Yang knew the result of the game. It can be said that Germany lost today's game, and there will be no hope in the next game against the Americans.

The competition began amid the cheers of the audience.

The German family was silenced in the first quarter. John kept his mouth shut and Catherine pursed her lips.

Such a scene made Guo Yang reluctant to leave, but he couldn't help but sigh that the national team would not even have the chance to compete with the German team in the future.

The national team entered the second quarter with a ten-point advantage, but fell behind by four points at halftime.

This brought Catherine back to life, and she smiled frequently when the director's camera switched over.

The milk in the hands of a row of people also frequently appeared in the picture.

However, the good times did not last long.

In the third quarter, Yao Ming made another effort and the national team overtook by 8 points. In the fourth quarter, Yao Ming made two consecutive shots.

victory is in sight!

But only by watching the game live can you feel the pressure brought by Nowitzki.

The ten-point difference seemed to be wiped out in an instant.

At the decisive moment, Yi Jianlian made a crucial mid-range shot to win the game.

The fans at the scene cheered and celebrated enthusiastically. With two wins, the national team has a high probability of qualifying.

As for the German team, their final opponent was the all-star Dream Team 8. Victor's family was not feeling well and Catherine had tears in her eyes.

Guo Yang could only try his best not to laugh. He really wanted to say that he should just not watch the last game. Maybe it would be more appropriate to go to the farm and drive a tractor.

But in the end I didn't say it.

(End of this chapter)