Yihe Tang Exposed for Using Expired and Moldy Ingredients! Employee Claims "It's Fine as Long as the Medicine Doesn't Kill You!"

Recently, an informant reported to China Quality News that some Yihetang stores in Zhengzhou City have serious food safety problems. Media outlets subsequently dispatched investigators to conduct in-depth reporting.

According to the investigators' video footage, multiple Yihetang stores in Zhengzhou were found to have a range of violations, including: using ingredients at the next day's opening that should have been discarded at closing; continuing to use expired ingredients after changing their labels; using moldy fruit; fishing insects that had fallen into ingredients back out and continuing to use them; finding insects in finished drinks and simply removing them before resealing and reselling; employees not wearing gloves when handling fruit as required; and flies crawling around the tea dispenser outlets. On these issues that could affect consumer health, employees showed no concern at all, with one even saying: "It won't kill customers, so it's fine."

Starting April 5th, the media sent multiple investigators to work at the stores provided by the informant. At the Zhongmou Baibasha store on April 6th, several fruits, milk tea ingredients, and toppings that should have been discarded at closing on April 5th were still in use, including orange slices, red beans, Red Jade milk tea, mochi, juice, and taro balls. Staff had sealed these with plastic wrap at closing and then continued using them the next day. On April 7th, investigators found insects in the nata de coco that had been sealed on April 6th, and staff said they could simply fish them out and keep using it.

Label Tampering and Expired Ingredients

On April 9th, investigators at the Xinzheng Yuanling Middle School store found two labels on opened milk. The first showed an expiration date of April 11th, while the second had extended it to April 14th.

The store also had beef jerky made on February 23rd that expired on March 25th but was still being used in products on April 12th. When confronted, a staff member told investigators: "It's fine, it won't kill people," while another added: "They're customers, what's there to be afraid of?" The investigator replied: "You don't dare taste it yourselves, but you're not afraid customers might die?" The staff member confirmed it. On April 12th, investigators found insects in jelly products at the store, and staff again said it was fine to just remove them and keep using the products.

Moldy Fruits and Improper Food Handling

On April 9th, investigators at the Changge Cultural Road store watched staff see moldy strawberries and, instead of discarding them, choose to wash and keep using them. Staff said cake shops need good strawberries, but for milk tea shops any strawberries will do. The next day, investigators saw strawberries with white mold in the refrigerator, and staff still insisted they could be used, instructing investigators to return the strawberries to their container and the refrigerator.

On April 18th, investigators found insects in grapefruit, and staff again said it was fine to just remove them. That evening, investigators discovered insects in a finished beverage. Without hesitation, staff opened the seal, removed the insect, transferred the drink to a new cup, resealed it, and continued selling it - all in one smooth motion.

Additional Hygiene Violations

In the investigators' videos, the Changge Cultural Road store showed many more "shocking practices." Flies in the store behaved as if it were their own home, leisurely "drinking tea" around the tea dispenser outlet, occasionally warming themselves near the sealing machine, or supplementing their sugar intake from ingredient bottle openings.

Store staff cut fruit without gloves; picked up lemon slices with bare hands and placed them in cups; dropped peeled watermelon onto dirty cloths and into extremely unsanitary sinks, then picked it up without washing and put it directly into storage containers; and placed unwashed grapes on dirty cloths before peeling them without gloves. Staff also stated that customers only eat the fruit flesh inside, so washing wasn't necessary.

Furthermore, store staff placed tea brewing pots directly on fruit cutting boards, put their phones on cutting boards while browsing videos, and worked without health certificates - all of which directly impact consumer health. These severe hygiene issues were treated as "unremarkable" at this store.

Company Response and Legal Implications

After the exposure, Yihetang immediately issued an apology on its official Weibo account, stating that it had ordered the implicated stores to close immediately, carry out rectifications, actively cooperate with local market supervision department inspections, and severely punish those responsible for ineffective supervision of stores in the Henan region.

Lawyers have stated that these exposed stores violated Article 33 of the Food Safety Law, which stipulates: "Food production and operation shall comply with food safety standards and meet the following requirements: having production and operation equipment or facilities appropriate to the variety and quantity of food produced and operated, with corresponding disinfection, changing, washing, lighting, ventilation, anti-corrosion, dust-proof, fly-proof, rat-proof, insect-proof, washing, wastewater treatment, and garbage and waste disposal equipment or facilities; having full-time or part-time food safety professional technical personnel, food safety management personnel, and rules and regulations to ensure food safety."

They also violated Article 45 of the Food Safety Law, which states: "Food producers and operators shall establish and implement a health management system for employees. Personnel suffering from diseases that hinder food safety as stipulated by the administrative department of health under the State Council shall not engage in work involving direct contact with imported food. Food production and operation personnel engaged in work involving direct contact with imported food shall undergo health checks annually and may only take up their posts after obtaining health certificates."

Public Reaction and Responsibility

Netizens responded to the exposure with relative calm. Some commented that franchised stores are all much the same; others believed these practices were clearly required by franchise store managers, with employees merely following orders, so the brand should not bear all the blame. Many hoped the brand would better manage its franchised stores, since it has become a favorite among many students.

Although these employees' actions were largely determined by franchise store managers, Yihetang, as the brand, simply collects franchise fees and other material costs without fulfilling its supervisory duties, and therefore must also bear legal responsibility. As netizens have said, food safety is no joke. You can't just rent out your brand and wash your hands of all responsibility, because this affects not only the brand's reputation and consumer health but also consumer trust in the entire industry.

Image source: Sina News, Hemiao Finance

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