Starbucks’ problems deepen in China after more food-safety issues reported, US coffee giant orders review
- Starbucks launched a probe on Monday after a state-backed newspaper claimed that expired ingredients were used in two shops in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi
- Local authorities in the city said they found 15 problems during an investigation of 82 Starbucks stores after responding to the claims by The Beijing News
A snap probe of most Starbucks stores in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi found further food-safety concerns following an undercover media investigation that exposed expired ingredients being used and forced the US coffee chain to order a nationwide “self-inspection” of all of its 5,400 outlets.
The Wuxi Market Supervision Administration said it unearthed 15 problems, including employees not wearing hats, disorderly placement of items in processing areas and incomplete disinfection records, during its investigation of 82 Starbucks stores in the city. According to Starbucks China, it had 87 stores in the city as of the middle of last month.
[We] preliminarily verify that the company have changed the internal control period identification of the ingredients and used ingredients beyond the internal control period
“[We] preliminarily verify that the company has changed the internal control period identification of the ingredients and used ingredients beyond the internal control period,” the authority said in its report released on Tuesday.
Starbucks pledged to cooperate with any regulatory probe, but said it had already taken a series of rectification measures, including temporarily closing the Zhenze Road and Changxing Building stores highlighted as part of the undercover investigation by the newspaper.
In addition to reviewing all food-safety procedures at all of its stores in mainland China, all employees will be retrained “to strictly implement Starbucks food-safety system”.
Both internal and third-party regular and surprise inspections will be increased and an internal “whistle-blowing channel on food-safety issues” will be strengthened, Starbucks China said.
This incident has revealed the need to strengthen daily implementation of our food-safety standards