Under the pressure of 315, why does Youyou Food "get brighter the more you wash"?

AI · Youyou Food Quality Control System: How to Respond to Industry Turmoil?

Produced by | Zhongfang Network

Reviewed by | Li Xiaoyan

The 2026 CCTV 3·15 Gala, themed “Trustworthy Consumption, Quality Life,” places food safety at the core of consumer rights protection. The evening’s opening focused on the chaos in the processing of pickled pepper chicken feet in Sichuan and Chongqing regions, exposing violations by companies like Shufu Xiang Food and Zengqiao Food, such as using industrial hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and dirty production environments, which quickly caused a shock across the industry. As the “First Stock of Pickled Pepper Chicken Feet,” Youyou Food, although not listed among the exposed companies, attracted significant market attention due to its leading position in the industry. Coupled with a few individual complaints on the Black Cat Complaint Platform, the market temporarily doubted its business prospects.

Looking at the overall situation and the company’s fundamentals, this industry rectification is not a blow to leading compliant companies but a structural opportunity to accelerate the clearance of inferior capacity and strengthen the barriers for industry leaders. With its compliant system as a listed company, full-chain quality control, and stable channel resilience, Youyou Food’s short-term public opinion disturbances do not alter its long-term growth logic. It is expected to further consolidate its leading position amid industry standardization and upgrading.

The 3·15 exposure directly targeted illegal activities of some small and medium-sized chicken feet producers in Sichuan and Chongqing: using industrial hydrogen peroxide for bleaching to improve appearance, substandard hygiene in production environments, and workers operating without health certificates—seriously violating the Food Safety Law and standards for food additive use. These behaviors are typical illegal profit-driven acts, fundamentally different from standardized production by reputable brands.

From the perspective of public opinion relevance, Youyou Food has no equity, production, or OEM relationships with the involved companies. The CCTV exposure list did not involve any of its production lines or products. The Black Cat Complaint Platform shows limited complaints against Youyou Food, mainly about sensory abnormalities or foreign object suspicions in individual products, with no mass or systemic safety issues. Most complaints are already being addressed. The company’s customer service responded promptly, stating that no hydrogen peroxide was used and that production strictly follows national standards. On the evening of March 15, Youyou Food issued an official statement, promising to uphold food safety bottom lines, fully implement corporate responsibility, and confirm that no banned additives were used. Its production processes meet standards such as SC, HACCP, and ISO22000.

Short-term stock price fluctuations reflect market sentiment. From early February to March 15, the stock price dropped from 14.27 yuan to 11.26 yuan, a decline of about 20%, with a market value of approximately 4.816 billion yuan. However, main platforms like JD.com and Taobao still sell branded pickled pepper chicken feet normally, contrasting sharply with the full withdrawal of involved brands like “Obedient Wife,” confirming that channels and consumers generally recognize the company’s compliance. The public opinion disturbance is more an emotional release driven by industry panic rather than a sign of deteriorating fundamentals.

As the pioneer and the only listed company in the pickled pepper chicken feet category, Youyou Food regards food safety as its survival bottom line. It has established a full-chain closed-loop control and traceability system covering raw material procurement, production, inspection, warehousing, and logistics.

On the raw material side, the company enforces strict supplier access and batch testing systems, controlling the quality of core raw materials like chicken feet from the source to prevent substandard materials from entering. In production, it implements standardized, clean, and intelligent manufacturing, with the environment, personnel operations, and disinfection procedures all adhering to the highest standards, physically preventing dirt, disorder, and illegal additives. Before shipment, each batch undergoes comprehensive testing for microbes, additives, and sensory indicators, with only qualified products entering the market. The traceability system allows tracking from raw materials to finished products, providing a complete evidence chain for food safety.

Financial data confirms the company’s stable operation and ongoing quality control investments. The 2024 annual report shows that revenue from pickled pepper chicken feet reached 784.6 million yuan, accounting for 66.36% of total revenue, with main product profit of 247.1 million yuan, representing 72.43% of core profit, highlighting strong profitability of key products. In the first half of 2025, poultry product revenue was 659.3 million yuan, accounting for 85.51% of total revenue, with a focused product structure and stable competitiveness. Southwest China, as a major market, contributed 45.97% of revenue in 2024, serving as both a core consumer market and an area with the strictest regulation and highest quality requirements, pushing the company to continuously upgrade its quality management.

Compared to the chaos in the industry, Youyou Food has always adhered to compliance and refused to compete at the expense of safety through low costs. This long-term commitment has built an uncopyable trust barrier during industry turbulence, becoming a core differentiator from small and illegal enterprises.

The pickled pepper chicken feet industry has long been characterized by a “large market, small enterprises” pattern, with many small workshops that sometimes rely on violations to cut costs and dominate low-end markets, leading to a phenomenon where bad money drives out good. The recent 3·15 exposure and subsequent law enforcement actions will promote increased inspections, higher industry entry barriers, and strengthened full-chain supervision, accelerating the淘汰 of unqualified, non-compliant, and inefficient capacities.

Industry cleanup brings three clear benefits: First, market share will concentrate among compliant leading companies, as brands involved exit, channel and consumer demand will shift to top players like Youyou Food; second, pricing will become more rational, with illegal low-price products phased out, improving industry gross margins and competition order, and enhancing profitability for leading companies; third, it will push the entire industry to upgrade quality control, standardize supply chains, production, and testing, with Youyou Food, as an industry benchmark, likely to participate in setting standards and shaping norms, further increasing its influence.

In the long term, the snack and marinated products industry will continue to expand. As a classic product, pickled pepper chicken feet has a rigid and sticky consumer demand. Post-incident, consumers are more attentive to brand, qualification, and safety credentials. Companies with a listed background, transparent production systems, and stable quality control will gain more favor. Youyou Food has already established advantages in channels, branding, and supply chain, and industry standardization will further amplify these strengths.

While affirming its compliance and long-term value, it is also necessary to objectively recognize that the individual complaints and handling efficiency on the Black Cat Complaint Platform still need improvement. Issues like sensory abnormalities or foreign object suspicions, though not involving systemic safety risks, directly affect consumer experience and brand reputation.

As an industry leader, Youyou Food can further upgrade its complaint handling mechanisms: establish rapid response channels, shorten processing times, disclose complaint procedures and results to increase transparency, strengthen final quality inspections and packaging controls to reduce individual issues, and actively invite regulators and consumer representatives to visit production lines to enhance transparency and dispel doubts. This public opinion is also a comprehensive health check, prompting the company to improve in quality control, service, and communication.

Short-term stock fluctuations and public opinion disturbances do not diminish the long-term competitiveness of leading companies. Youyou Food has not been involved in the core violations of the 3·15 event, maintains compliant production, stable channels, and solid fundamentals. During industry consolidation and increased concentration, it is expected to further strengthen its leading position through compliance, brand, and scale advantages.

The 3·15 exposure serves as a profound warning to the food industry and a long-term positive for compliant companies. People rely on food, and safety is paramount. Food safety is never a choice but a survival line. As a leading listed company, Youyou Food upholds compliance and quality, maintaining its bottom line and stability amid industry turbulence, demonstrating resilience through cycles.