What happened in the Taichung matcha coffee fly case?

A customer in Taichung, Taiwan bought an iced sesame matcha coffee latte at a Starbucks store and found a fly in the last sip of the drink. She later developed vomiting and diarrhea and was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis. Starbucks said the store disinfects regularly and staff follow standard procedures, while the Taichung food safety office has opened an investigation.

The customer reported buying the drink at 16:46 and noticing the foreign object around 23:25 that night. The Taichung City Food Safety Office said non-compliant items would require rectification within a deadline and could bring a fine. The case adds to recent food safety concerns around freshly made drinks at major beverage brands.

Recently, frequent food safety incidents at major beverage brands have left consumers deeply worried about the hygiene of freshly made drinks. According to a report by China Times News Network, a female customer bought an iced sesame matcha latte at a Starbucks store in Taichung City, Taiwan, China, and when she drank to the last sip, she discovered a bitten-open fly in the cup, with several dead maggots even crawling out of its belly. That night, the customer experienced vomiting and diarrhea, and after seeking medical attention, was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis. Starbucks officially responded quickly, saying that the store disinfects regularly and that employee operations comply with standard procedures, but the store involved had not yet received a complaint. The Taichung City Food Safety Office has intervened in the investigation; if non-compliant items are found, the store will be required to rectify within a deadline and be fined a high amount in accordance with the law. Staff from the Ministry of Health and Welfare also reminded the public that if they accidentally ingest live animals, they should watch for symptoms of gastroenteritis and seek medical attention promptly.

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Recently, major brands have接连爆出 food safety-related incidents, causing many consumers to develop deep concerns about the hygiene of freshly made drinks.

Yesterday, China Times News Network reported that a customer posted on social media that she had drunk an obvious foreign object in a Starbucks beverage she bought, and only after spitting it out did she discover it was actually a large fly.

According to the customer's own account, she bought a cup of iced sesame matcha latte at a local Starbucks store in Taiwan, China at 16:46 on the afternoon of the 20th. By 23:25 that night, when she drank the last sip of the beverage, she suddenly noticed an unusual texture, as if it were "prickly." So she hurriedly spat out the foreign object she had drunk, and upon looking closely, found it was a fly about the size of a little finger, and from its belly, which she had accidentally bitten open, several already dead maggots even came out.

The female customer said that after discovering she had drunk a fly, she felt nauseated and experienced vomiting and diarrhea. By 01:29 in the morning, her stomach and esophagus still felt uncomfortable, so she went to the hospital's emergency department and was diagnosed by a doctor with acute gastroenteritis.

This "horrifying" experience not only made this consumer deeply worried about the store's environmental hygiene, but also made her furious at the employees' careless handling of customers' drinks. The customer said that she was already afraid of insects, and when she drank the fly in the beverage, she immediately felt unwell, her hands and feet trembling uncontrollably, and afterward she even went to the hospital for treatment. After all this ordeal, she completely lost confidence in the brand and said bluntly that she would never dare to spend money there again in her lifetime.

After the post was published, it sparked heated discussion on social media, and many netizens were greatly shocked that a fly could appear in a drink from a well-known chain brand.

After learning of the matter, Starbucks officially responded quickly as well, saying that it had immediately begun finding out more with the store and tried to contact the customer. In addition, the company said that stores all clean and disinfect regularly, and that employee preparation also complies with standard procedures; however, the store involved had not yet received a complaint from the consumer.

This incident also drew the attention of the "Food Safety Office" in Taichung, Taiwan, China. They said that according to the Good Hygiene Practice Guidelines for Food, effective measures should be taken during food production to prevent foreign objects from mixing into food. In response to the situation reported by the public, they will dispatch staff to inspect the Starbucks store.

If non-compliant items are found in the store, the store will be required to rectify within a deadline and will be re-inspected. If it still fails to meet standards, a fine of more than 60,000 yuan and up to 200 million yuan may be imposed in accordance with the law.

Staff also reminded the general public that if they have doubts or concerns about the hygiene of food and beverage establishments, they may submit relevant evidence to the regulatory authorities, and staff will record the case based on the facts and handle it promptly in accordance with regulations.

In addition, staff from the Ministry of Health and Welfare said that if live animals are eaten, what they worry about most is gastroenteritis caused by the pathogens they carry, and if symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps occur, medical attention should be sought promptly. As for the question raised by some netizens, "What if insect eggs or maggots are eaten? Will they reproduce in the body?" the staff member said that the human stomach will absorb and digest these proteins, so there is no need to worry.

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.