Starbucks closes down two stores in China for serving orders with expired ingredients

Starbucks was reported to have shut down two of its stores in China after a local newspaper reported they had used expired ingredients in making beverages. The closure was also due to alleged violations of food safety regulations in the country.

As per Reuters, Starbucks is currently conducting an investigation after the news came out. The story was published on Beijing News, a state-backed newspaper, and it claimed they discovered the practice through an undercover investigation. The paper revealed that two coffee outlets in the city of Wuxi were involved in the incidents.

"We take what was reported by local media very seriously, and have immediately closed the two stores in question to conduct a thorough investigation," the spokesman of the American coffee chain said in a statement. "Since entering the Chinese mainland market 22 years ago, we have been committed to implementing strict food safety standards and adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy towards food safety issues."

Starbucks added that through the incidents, the company welcomes the continued supervision of the public as well as the members of the media. Then again, Reuters noted that the company did not reveal specific details of the report.

In the article that was published by the Beijing News, it said that the Starbucks outlets continued to use matcha liquids to make lattes even if they were already past the expiration dates. The other branch was said to have sold pastries that were already meant to be thrown away.

Videos to back up the claims were also published and these were said to have been personally taken by undercover reporters who pretended to be one of the staff members. The reporter said that aside from the matcha liquid, expired chocolate ingredients and cream were also used in beverages that were served to customers.

South China Morning Post reported that in one of the videos, there was even a staff who removed the expiry date on a package of chocolate chips and replaced it with a new label to extend the shelf life by at least one week. The video also showed some of the cakes from the previous day were still sold plus a towel for the dining tables was also used to clean a bin.

The news has been trending on various social media platforms in China especially on Weibo as people expressed concern, shock, and disgust over the incidents. As of Monday, Dec. 10, Starbucks' response to the reports had been viewed over 50 million times on the Chinese platform that is similar to Twitter.