Milk Tea Shop in China Shut Down After Employee Seen Soaking Feet in Drink Toppings
Shenzhen, China - A milk tea shop in Shenzhen, China, has been temporarily closed and an employee detained after a video circulated online showing the worker immersing their feet in a barrel of drink toppings and handling ingredients with bare hands. The incident sparked immediate public outrage and a swift response from local authorities.
The video, which surfaced on social media platforms, prompted an immediate investigation by the Longhwasukgu district authorities. According to reports from local media outlets like Hangzhou ilbo, the employee committed the hygiene violations on March 17th, shortly after beginning employment on March 16th. The shop voluntarily reported the incident to police and discarded all cooking equipment and materials.
The Shenzhen Longhwasukgu authorities confirmed the employee has been placed under administrative detention by public security officials. this incident underscores growing concerns about food safety standards within the rapidly expanding Chinese beverage industry and follows a similar hygiene scandal earlier this year at a Shanghai hot pot franchise.
In February, Heidirao, a popular hot pot chain, faced backlash after a video showed two teenagers walking on tables in their dining area with shoes on. Heidirao responded by replacing all tableware, refunding meals to over 4,000 customers, and providing 10 million yuan (approximately $1.4 million USD) in compensation. A Shanghai court later ruled that the parents of the teenagers were responsible for 220,000 yuan (approximately $31,000 USD) in damages for failing to properly supervise their children.
