Identifying the "Fresh Light" Beauty Trap: Inner Mongolia Wuhai Market Supervision Administration Teaches You How to Avoid Pitfalls

China Quality News Network reported that to regulate the market behavior of fresh edible agricultural products and effectively safeguard consumers’ legal rights, the Inner Mongolia Wuhai Market Supervision Administration issued a consumer reminder to the city’s consumers, teaching you how to identify fresh “lighting beauty,” avoid consumption traps, and choose trustworthy fresh products.

1. Recognize the “Fresh Light” tricks; beware of these beautification methods

“Fresh light” refers to lighting and auxiliary facilities used by sellers that alter the true color of fresh products, such as colored light sources, colored lamp shades, colored plastic bags covering the lamps, large-area colored barriers/background boards, etc. These practices seriously mislead consumers’ judgment of product freshness, and may even allow spoiled products to pass as fresh, infringing on consumers’ legitimate rights.

Meat: appears unusually bright red under red light, masking signs of spoilage or deterioration.

Vegetables: appear unusually lush green under green light, hiding issues like wilting or yellowing leaves.

Fruits: enhance color saturation through specific color temperatures or lighting, misleading consumers’ judgment.

All of the above behaviors violate the relevant provisions of the “Measures for the Supervision and Administration of the Quality and Safety of Edible Agricultural Products Market Sales.” Market supervision departments will conduct special inspections across the city and lawfully investigate and punish businesses that illegally use “fresh lights.”

2. Practical tips to avoid traps; three methods to help you select truly fresh products

When purchasing fresh products, do not be fooled by “appearance.” The Wuhai Market Supervision Administration teaches you some practical methods to easily identify the true quality of fresh products and stay away from “lighting traps”:

(1) Observe the environment to identify illegal lighting

When shopping, first observe the lighting environment of the stall. If you find the lamps emitting obvious colored lights such as red, green, or blue, or if the lamps have dimming knobs or remote controls to adjust the light color; if the lamps are covered with colored shades or wrapped in colored plastic bags or films; or if the display area uses large-area, highly saturated colored background boards or barriers, be alert. These scenarios are highly likely to involve “fresh lights.” Legitimate fresh product lighting should use white light without any color modifications, accurately restoring the natural color of the products.

(2) Make comparisons to identify genuine appearance

The most straightforward method is “verify authenticity away from the lights.” You can take the selected fresh products to a public white-light area in the market or observe them under natural light. Alternatively, turn off your phone’s beauty filters and use the original photo mode to take pictures of the same product under stall lighting and natural light, then compare the color differences. If, after removing the colored lighting, the product’s color appears significantly duller or loses luster, and the appearance differs greatly from that under lighting, it indicates doubts about its true quality. It is recommended to abandon the purchase.

(3) Check texture and make a comprehensive judgment on freshness

Besides paying attention to color under lighting, consumers can also judge freshness by examining the shape and smelling the aroma. Carefully check whether the product is intact, whether the texture is normal, and whether there are abnormal conditions such as water seepage, shriveling, rot, or deformation. Smell the product to see if the aroma is pure, and avoid abnormal odors like mustiness, sourness, or decay. Also, review quarantine and inspection certificates, purchase receipts, labels, and other qualification documents. Choose products from regulated channels with traceable sources and complete credentials to ensure safety and trustworthiness.

3. Rights protection channels; report violations promptly

If you find businesses using “fresh lights” to mislead consumers or other illegal behaviors at farmers’ markets, supermarkets, fresh convenience stores, etc., please keep evidence promptly. Take photos or videos of the lighting environment and fresh products on-site, keep shopping receipts and related materials, and call 12345 or 12315 to report.

Fresh product safety concerns everyone’s livelihood. Market supervision departments will strictly crack down on illegal activities such as using “fresh lights” and false advertising to mislead consumers. Meanwhile, we remind operators that honest business is the foundation of their reputation; do not use illegal means to mislead consumers for short-term gains. We also hope consumers enhance their self-protection awareness, jointly create a safe, trustworthy, and honest fresh food consumption environment, and ensure every bite is safe and安心! (Source: Inner Mongolia Wuhai Market Supervision Administration)