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Starbucks in China has recently been involved in a controversy after a state-backed local newspaper published an article about two outlets in the city of Wuxi that had used expired ingredients to make beverages and serve pastries that were from the previous day.
Almost immediately after the news came out, the topic of expired ingredients in some Starbucks China branches started trending for days. Many customers also aired their frustration for the incidents.
The topic is still hot in China and as per CNN Business, Starbucks issued an apology for the cases that obviously violated food safety rules in the country. It was reported that on Monday, Dec. 13, the company determined that the two stores involved indeed breached some rules and it apologized for the wrongdoing.
Since the expired ingredients in Starbucks are being discussed on Weibo which is the Chinese equivalent of the social media platform, Twitter, the company released a short statement through its account on the same Chinese socmed site. The company's short statement reads: "We sincerely apologize to all of Starbucks' customers."
Starbucks in China also said that it will be carrying out inspections in all of its stores as well as conduct training for staff working in its almost 5,400 branches in the country. The Market Supervision Administration at Wuxi also revealed it had checked all 82 Starbucks stores in the city after completing its investigations on the two stores involved in the incidents.
Moreover, the administration said it had found at least 15 issues after the inspections and this includes incomplete disinfection records and store staff not wearing their work caps.
Meanwhile, it was the Beijing News newspaper, that has exposed the food safety violations of the two Starbucks stores in China. A reporter went undercover and posed as one of the staff then filmed the wrongdoings. The videos were also published later and resulted in the closure of the two outlets.
"We take what was reported by local media very seriously, and have immediately closed the two stores in question to conduct a thorough investigation," Reuters quoted Starbucks spokesman as saying in a statement after the news broke out. "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."
