A Cigarette Butt Found in Delivered Jjajangmyeon
"They Only Offered a Refund Without Saying Sorry"
A story has sparked controversy after a cigarette butt was found in a delivered Jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), but the restaurant denied responsibility without an apology, claiming "no one smokes here."
On the 7th, a post titled "Cigarette Butt in Jjajangmyeon" was uploaded to an online community. The author, Mr. A, who has worked in the food service industry for over 10 years, said, "I feel like I ate the cigarette ashes, so my stomach feels very bad. Even after vomiting and brushing my teeth, I still feel nauseous and irritated," and asked for opinions on what to do next.
The photo attached to the post showed a cigarette butt found in the Jjajangmyeon. The butt, which looked as if it had been cooked together from the time the black bean paste was stir-fried, was found in the corner of the noodles, partially smoked with some remaining.
Mr. A eventually contacted the delivery app, stating, "I understand the feelings of self-employed restaurant owners well, so I usually just remove hair or minor foreign substances and eat without complaint, but this is the first time something like this has happened." He added, "I was very hungry and had eaten more than half of the noodles when the texture suddenly felt strange and tough, and the cigarette smell was strong, so I spat it out. But what I had chewed was none other than a cigarette butt. The filter part that touched my mouth was clearly visible."
He continued, "Since the color of Jjajangmyeon is dark, I don't even know how much cigarette ash was in it or how long the cigarette was, but shouldn't the restaurant have been concerned first?" He expressed displeasure, saying, "The person who answered the phone immediately denied that anyone smoked at their store and offered a refund without even apologizing."
Mr. A said, "When I angrily went to show them, they suddenly changed their story, saying only someone in the kitchen smokes e-cigarettes. I have lived in that neighborhood for 28 years and have seen many people working in front of the store smoking regular cigarettes, so how could we not know?" He criticized, "When I kept getting angry, they just said a half-hearted sorry and kept talking about refunds. Honestly, if no one smokes at the store, shouldn't they have asked to see the cigarette butt?"
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "If they had just apologized, this wouldn't have escalated," "How could a cigarette butt get into the food during cooking?" "The hygiene must have been dirty from the start," and "I don't want to eat delivery food anymore."
■ How to respond when foreign substances are found in food
- The location and condition of the foreign substance in the food at the time of discovery can be important clues for investigation.
2. Store the foreign substance carefully in a zipper bag or airtight container
- Keep the foreign substance safe until it is submitted to the investigation agency to prevent loss or damage.
3. Report to the delivery app company or 1399
- For smooth investigation of the cause of foreign substance contamination, please submit the found foreign substance to the investigation agency.
※ Investigation agencies (MFDS, local governments) will conduct the investigation and notify you of the results directly.
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