What does the dirty coffee milk ratio have to do with open cups?

A customer in Nanjing reported finding a whole black insect at the bottom of a Yulan Latte bought at a Chayan Yuese store at Nanjing Station Plaza. The brand said surveillance showed nothing unusual during production and suggested the insect entered after the customer left. A refund was issued and talks with the customer continue.

The case drew attention because Chayan Yuese serves many cream-top and milk-foam drinks open, without a lid, to protect texture and appearance. Regulars said the flying-insect risk has always existed. That open-cup practice, not the dirty coffee milk ratio itself, is what customers are now questioning.

Recently, a consumer reported that while finishing a "Yulan Latte" purchased at the Chayan Yuese store in Nanjing Station Plaza, they found a complete black insect at the bottom of the cup. Unlike past food safety complaints, this time many regulars said they were not surprised—Chayan Yuese usually does not add a lid when serving in order to maintain the texture and appearance of the cream top and milk foam, delivering drinks open-topped, so the risk of flying insects falling in has always existed. After reviewing surveillance footage, the store said there was nothing abnormal in the production process, while the brand responded that the insect may have entered the cup after the customer left the store. A refund has been issued and communication with the customer is continuing. The incident has once again sparked discussion among consumers about the brand's practice of not proactively providing cup lids.

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Recently, a netizen posted text and photos on social media, saying that on that day they bought a drink at the Chayan Yuese store on the first floor of Nanjing Station Plaza, and when they were almost finished drinking it, they found a complete large insect at the bottom of the cup.

From the photos accompanying the post, it can be seen that this customer bought a cup of the signature drink "Yulan Latte" at the Chayan Yuese on the first floor of Nanjing Station North Plaza. After almost finishing the entire drink, they calmly discovered a black insect settled at the bottom of the cup, with a clear outline that was frightening to see.

Interestingly, in the past when consumers posted on social media saying they had eaten or drunk a foreign object in their food, the comments would more or less question whether it was a real accident or a stunt for attention. But under this post, some users were not surprised at all about the flying insect in the Chayan Yuese drink.

Consumers who frequently patronize this brand said that Chayan Yuese's serving standards differ from other chain brands on the market. Stores basically start making the drink only after the customer arrives, so that the person picking it up can drink a freshly made beverage.

For some tea drinks on the menu that include cream tops and milk foam, in order to ensure the drinking texture and overall visual effect after serving, the brand usually does not seal the finished drink. This was also the case for the "Yulan Latte" purchased by the poster. Regulars reported that most Chayan Yuese stores serve this milk tea with a cream top open when it is for dine-in, without putting on a cup lid.

If they change their mind and want to pack it to go, many Chayan Yuese customers say the process of asking staff for a cup lid is too torturous. Many people shared their personal experiences, saying that staff would repeatedly emphasize that packing it to go affects the taste, and only after saying it several times would they "reluctantly" put a cup lid on the drink. So in their view, it is quite normal for foreign objects or flying insects to fall into milk tea with an open cup mouth.

"Every time I ask the staff, they say there are none. Of course this definitely is not the staff's problem. Can't they just add a lid?" "Why on earth doesn't Chayan give lids!!! Every time I'm afraid something dirty will fall in or that I'll accidentally knock it over." "Every time asking for a lid is such a hassle."

After the incident, the netizen immediately contacted the store involved and reported the situation. The store replied that it had retrieved the in-store surveillance footage for verification and found no abnormalities in the production process. It also apologized for the customer's poor consumption experience, had already refunded the entire order, and proposed compensation measures.

A reporter covering the incident contacted the Chayan Yuese brand. A staff member from Chayan Yuese's public relations department said that the drink was under surveillance throughout the entire process from preparation to handover. After carefully checking the store's surveillance, it could be confirmed that the insect did not enter the cup in the store, and there were no hygiene problems in the store.

(Part of the chat screenshots posted by the person involved in communication with the brand's customer service)

The staff member said that the milk tea is dispensed by machine, and it is impossible for a complete insect carcass to appear in the entire process. The insect may have entered the cup after the drink left the store. At present, the brand has processed an order refund for the consumer and is still communicating with the customer and regulatory authorities, hoping to reach a result satisfactory to both parties.

Image source: Internet

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