A bakery faces controversy after a video of a boy touching his tongue to displayed bread goes viral
Open display method discontinued
All displayed bread now covered with lids
Recently, a video showing a boy putting his tongue on displayed bread went viral, sparking controversy at a famous bakery in Seoul, which ultimately took drastic measures. The bakery discontinued its long-standing open display method and covered all the displayed bread with lids.
A video showing a child putting their tongue on bread displayed openly at a bakery in Seoul recently spread widely on social media, sparking a hygiene controversy. Online community
The controversy began on the 12th when a short video of a boy touching his tongue to bread displayed at a bakery was shared on an online community. In the video, the boy lightly touched the tip of his tongue to the sugar powder piled on the bread and then licked his lips. Netizens who saw the video criticized, saying, "I won't eat bread that isn't individually wrapped anymore," and "I will never go to places that don't cover their bread." Based on the shape of the bread and the interior in the video, netizens identified the place as a famous bakery in Seoul.
As the controversy spread, the bakery stopped its long-standing open display method and, starting from the 16th, covered all displayed bread with lids, according to a report by Hankyung.com on the 17th. According to Hankyung.com, this was confirmed to be a measure requested by the local district office where the bakery is located. An employee of the bakery explained, "In response to the recent controversy, we installed lids on the bread at the request of the district office." A district office official also stated, "On the 15th, we issued a recommendation to the bakery involved in the controversy, and the issue was corrected from that day." Currently, transparent hinged lids are installed on all bread trays.
A video showing a child putting their tongue on bread displayed openly at a bakery in Seoul has recently spread widely on social media, sparking a hygiene controversy. Online community
Hygiene issues related to bread displays are not new. On social media, criticism of bakeries selling bread fully exposed has been consistently raised. Critics point out hygiene problems, noting that many people pick up and touch the bread with their hands but do not purchase it. They also criticize the practice of selling bread without protection such as lids 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' coats or bags.
However, under the current domestic Food Sanitation Act, there are no specific legal regulations regarding the storage methods of foods made and sold by these businesses. Therefore, it is currently impossible to mandate or regulate the use of lids or similar measures for business operators.
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