Core Viewpoint - The incident involving "Qiu Tian Man Man" flour, where a consumer reported finding a suspected mouse foreign object, has raised significant concerns about the brand's production practices and the safety of its products [1][2][6]. Company Response - The brand's representative, Yichun Shijiu Degree E-commerce Co., Ltd., stated that the production process of their "Soft White Nutritional Low-Gluten Flour" is fully automated and enclosed, eliminating the possibility of foreign objects entering during production [2][4]. - The company has initiated an investigation and contacted law enforcement to address the issue [4][5]. - They have also claimed that their products undergo rigorous testing and are periodically sent to third-party laboratories for quality assurance [3][10]. Consumer Reaction - Following the incident, some consumers expressed distrust towards the "Qiu Tian Man Man" brand, with one consumer rejecting a proposed compensation of 3,000 yuan and demanding further assurances regarding their child's health [4][6]. - There is a division among consumers regarding the authenticity of the claims about the foreign object, with some questioning the brand's ability to maintain quality control [6][7]. Industry Context - The incident has highlighted concerns regarding the prevalent contract manufacturing model in China's infant food industry, where multiple brands may share the same production facilities, potentially compromising product quality [7][9]. - The infant food market in China is experiencing rapid growth, with a market size projected to reach 553 billion yuan in 2023, but issues related to food safety under the contract manufacturing model remain a significant challenge [8][9]. - The brand's reliance on contract manufacturing has led to skepticism about its operational integrity, as it does not own a physical factory [7][8]. Regulatory Standards - The products marketed as "infant food" must comply with specific national safety standards, but many items from brands like "Qiu Tian Man Man" do not meet these standards, raising further concerns about consumer safety [10][11]. - The company has claimed that its internal standards exceed those of existing regulations, but the lack of mandatory national standards for certain products complicates the situation [10].