Problems of Straws Vulnerable to Low Temperatures Revealed for the First Time
Major Domestic Food and Beverage Companies Use the Same Product
Some plastic straws in iced beverages at a famous coffee chain shattered into powder-like fragments after being subjected to external impact, causing a customer to ingest them. Despite confirming that the straws are vulnerable to low temperatures, the company continues to provide these straws in stores for customers to use, sparking controversy.
On the 9th, Yonhap News reported that a customer who purchased coffee at a well-known coffee chain recently experienced harm when the plastic straw in their drink crumbled into powder upon sipping. The incident occurred on the 18th of last month. Mr. A, who lives in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, stopped by a takeout coffee shop near his home and bought an iced vanilla latte, placing it on the cup holder of a stroller carrying his baby.
Some plastic straws in iced beverages at a famous coffee chain shattered into powder-like pieces after external impact, causing customers to accidentally ingest them. Despite confirming that the straws are vulnerable to low temperatures, the company continues to provide these straws in stores for customer use, sparking controversy. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Later, after visiting a nearby hospital for a checkup, Mr. A accidentally dropped the coffee from the stroller. When he picked it up and took a sip, he felt coarse red powder-like particles going down his throat. Alarmed, he inspected the coffee and saw red particles floating in it. Upon removing the straw, he found its lower part had shattered. The straw had broken into powder due to the impact.
Mr. A then spent the entire day feeling bloated and gassy, unable to eat dinner and having a difficult time. He contacted the coffee chain’s headquarters the next day but was unable to get customer service and filed a complaint through the Consumer Agency. When the headquarters representative finally contacted him, they explained the situation but used "ㅎㅎ" (a Korean expression similar to "haha") in their messages, showing a careless attitude that further angered Mr. A.
Plastic Straws Shatter into Fine Pieces When Impacted at Low Temperatures
A person is seen taking a photo of some pieces of a broken straw wrapped in a kitchen towel, following a request from the company to provide evidence that the straw was broken. A significant portion of the straw pieces were either consumed by Mr. A or washed down the kitchen sink. Mr. A explained that there were originally many more straw pieces. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Most importantly, Mr. A reported the incident to the media out of concern that others might suffer similar harm. He stated, "The straw broke into powder-like fragments amounting to about one-fifth of its length after falling from the stroller’s cup holder, and I drank that powder along with the beverage. It felt like coarse red pepper flakes when eating spicy jjambbong. The straw didn’t just break due to impact at low temperature; it shattered into tiny powder-like pieces."
Upon verification, Mr. A’s claim was confirmed to be true. The coffee chain and the straw manufacturer conducted tests and confirmed the straw’s tendency to break. Plastic straws expand in summer and contract in winter, and when subjected to impact inside iced beverage cups, similar incidents can occur. The bigger issue is that the straws are produced by the largest domestic manufacturer supplying major food and beverage companies in Korea, and despite confirming Mr. A’s incident, the straws continue to be sold.
Mr. A said, "The straw manufacturer offered financial compensation to ease my mind, but I refused. I reported this for the health and safety of coffee drinkers. There are definitely people who drink cold beverages even in winter, and if the straws shatter into powder with even minor impact, I believe it is dangerous."
Coffee Shops Continue Selling While Posting 'Danger' Notices
Despite Mr. A’s complaints, the caf? and the straw manufacturer intend to keep selling the problematic straws. A representative from the straw manufacturer, Company B, said, "Tests showed the straws broke upon impact at low temperatures, and this is the first customer complaint of this kind. There are no strength or heat resistance standards when manufacturing straws. They are made optimized for drinking beverages. Mr. A’s cup fell to the floor, which is outside normal usage. It was a customer error. We offered compensation on moral grounds, but it was declined."
Earlier, a representative from the coffee shop sent a message to Mr. A saying, "We tried the experiment together with the store owner. Haha." They confirmed through the experiment that, as Mr. A claimed, the straw shattered into small pieces at low temperatures. However, this was evaluated as being far from the pain experienced by the customer who ingested the straw fragments.
The representative acknowledged that similar incidents could occur in the future and that there are safety concerns for customers, but since the straws were not manufactured in violation of regulations, they cannot immediately stop sales. Improving the straw quality would require changing raw materials and manufacturing equipment, so they plan to review this in the long term. Another company representative admitted that the initial apology over the phone was insufficiently conveyed and stated, "We will improve customer service going forward and consider replacing the plastic straws."
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