"Bare Hands Stirring in the Cup"... Chinese Beverage Franchise Faces Hygiene Controversy

"Staged to Mimic 'Indian-Style Milk Tea' Meme...
Employee Fired, Store Closed Indefinitely"

A video showing an employee at a famous Chinese milk tea brand store stirring a beverage with their bare hands has gone viral, sparking controversy.

An employee at a famous Chinese milk tea brand store is stirring a cup of beverage with bare hands. Photo by X (formerly Twitter capture)

On January 8, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) and Singapore's Channel NewsAsia (CNA) reported on a video of an employee at Chagee, a milk tea franchise located in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China, preparing a drink. In the footage, the employee squeezes a lemon with bare hands, throws the remnants into the cup, pours in milk tea, and then stirs the beverage with their bare hands. The employee is also seen scooping spilled milk tea and ice into the cup using their hands.

The video spread rapidly on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo, fueling the controversy. The store employee initially claimed that the video was filmed after business hours, but an investigation revealed that the drink was actually prepared with leftover ingredients just before closing time.

As the controversy grew, the company stated, "The employee's actions were staged to attract views," explaining that the video was created using leftover ingredients in an attempt to mimic the trending 'Indian-style milk tea' meme circulating online. The company added that all beverages and ingredients used in the video were discarded, and the store underwent thorough cleaning and disinfection.

An employee at a famous Chinese milk tea brand store is stirring a cup filled with a drink using bare hands. Douyin capture.

The company announced, "This incident constitutes a serious violation of food safety and employee management regulations," and stated that the employee featured in the video has been dismissed and the store will be closed indefinitely. The company plans to decide on reopening after comprehensive corrective measures and related inspections. The store manager and supervisor have been demoted, and the company acknowledged that the incident revealed shortcomings in employee training and supervision, pledging to implement stricter standards. Additionally, the company emphasized that it uses automated equipment designed to minimize direct contact between employees and ingredients.

The company apologized, saying, "We will only reopen the store after a thorough inspection," and expressed "shock and anger" over the employee's actions. However, local netizens responded by saying, "Strong measures are needed to restore customer trust," and, "A simple explanation is not enough to dispel distrust."