"I Understand No-Kids Zones"...Famous Bakery 'Hyeo Seuljjeok' Faces Hygiene Controversy Over Children

"Adults Also Poke with Their Hands," More Experiences Shared
Bread Displayed Without Covers... Ongoing Criticism of Bakery Practices

A video showing a child sticking out their tongue to taste bread displayed at a famous bakery in Seoul has spread on online communities, sparking controversy.

On the 12th, a short video showing a boy lightly touching bread on a display tray with his tongue was shared on several online communities. Screenshot from an online community

On the 12th, a short video capturing a boy touching his tongue to bread placed on a tray in a bakery in Seoul was shared across various online communities. The video shows the child lightly touching the tip of his tongue to the sugar powder piled on the bread and then licking his lips. Although the exact time the video was taken is unclear, netizens estimated the location to be a well-known bakery in Seoul.

Following the spread of this video, another hygiene controversy arose regarding the practice of selling bread exposed in customer areas without any cover. Since the risk of displayed bread becoming unhygienic due to customers is not unique to a specific bakery, netizens criticized the very practice of selling bread without covers or individual packaging. Even if customers do not directly touch the bread, many people selecting bread can cause saliva or foreign substances to scatter. There have also been eyewitness reports of displayed bread coming into contact with customers' outerwear or bags.

Netizens responded with comments such as, "I won't eat bread that isn't individually packaged anymore," "It's disgusting," "I won't go to bakeries that display bread without lids," and "I understand the no-kids zone." Similar experiences were actively shared as well. They said, "When I worked part-time at a franchise bakery, many kids licked the sugar on twisted doughnuts," "I informed a staff member when a child was poking all the bread with their hands," "A child poked all the bread with their hands and the parents ignored it, so I gathered the poked bread and told them to pay for it," and "I saw a kid doing the same thing while working part-time, and the dad just said 'You shouldn't do that' and left." Others added examples like, "Such behavior is not limited by age or gender. Adults also poke donuts with their hands and leave without buying," "I've seen flies land on croissants several times, so I avoid bakeries that display bread without lids," and "It's common for people to pick up bread with their hands instead of tongs."