Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao reopens Beijing branches after food hygiene scandal
Customers can now watch live video feeds from inside kitchens as managers seek to reassure customers
Two Beijing branches of the popular Chinese hotpot chain Haidilao are reported to have reopened following a food hygiene scare in August.
The stores, along with 25 other branches in the capital, now offer a live stream video feed from their kitchens to customers who wish to keep an eye on how their food is being prepared, Legal Evening News reported on Tuesday.
In August, undercover journalists from the newspaper reported that there were serious hygiene problems in the Taiyanggong and Jinsong outlets.
These included rats in the kitchens, used plates and cutlery being washed together with brooms and dirty cloths, and hotpot ladles used to clean the drains.
Haidilao issued an official response at the time acknowledging there were hygiene problems in the kitchens, and announced new measures to improve cleanliness at all branches while the two Beijing stores were temporarily closed.