Starbucks Issues Apology Statement, Admits Formaldehyde in Peripheral Product

Starbucks Summer Carry Bag Controversy: Formaldehyde Detection Sparks Public Concern

According to a July 22 report by Yonhap News Agency, an anonymous user claiming to be an employee of the FITI Testing & Research Institute, a comprehensive inspection organization for the apparel, consumer goods, environment and biology sectors, posted on social media that they had detected formaldehyde while testing the Summer Carry Bag, a promotional giveaway from Starbucks Korea's summer campaign.

Since Starbucks launched the campaign in May this year, some consumers had already complained anonymously on social media about a fishy, squid-like odor from the travel tote bags. The institute then tested the products and found formaldehyde. The post also stated that the views expressed did not represent the institute's official position.

The post then sparked heated discussion online. A Starbucks Korea representative said that upon learning of the issue, the company immediately stopped distributing the products and sent samples to the Korean National Institute of Technology and Standards for formaldehyde testing, with results due within a week. On July 22, Starbucks Korea issued an apology, with follow-up measures to be decided once testing was complete.

The Korean National Institute of Technology and Standards said that if the investigation found formaldehyde or other issues in the products, it would immediately recall them and, in cooperation with the Korean Consumer Agency, implement consumer safety guidelines.

That same day, Starbucks Korea also announced through its app that customers who had already redeemed the products could return them to any store and receive one free beverage coupon. Customers wishing to exchange products between July 23 and August 31 could do so at any store in exchange for three free beverage coupons.

Official Apology and Test Results

Then, on July 28, Starbucks Korea issued a public apology on its official website, stating that because it had failed to conduct safety testing before the campaign, the products involved did indeed contain formaldehyde. The statement noted that the manufacturer had flagged the presence of formaldehyde at delivery, but the responsible staff failed to recognize this during acceptance inspection. Although they were aware of the odor coming from the storage bags, they did not realize it was formaldehyde and went ahead and displayed them in all stores.

The statement also noted that after the anonymous post, the company immediately commissioned three nationally recognized testing institutions in Korea for cross-verification, which ultimately confirmed formaldehyde on the storage bags. The results were publicly disclosed: on unopened storage bags, formaldehyde averaged 459mg/kg on the outer layer and 244mg/kg on the inner layer; on bags that had been opened for two months, the average was 271mg/kg on the outer layer and 22mg/kg on the inner layer.

Regulatory Standards and Resolution Measures

The test results noted that under Korea's "Appliance and Household Goods Safety Management Act," the formaldehyde standard for household textiles is under 75mg/kg for underwear and heavy clothing, and under 300mg/kg for outerwear and bedding. Because the problematic storage bags fall under "other products," along with bags, cushions and curtains that are not worn directly and are not covered by harmful-substance safety standards, no applicable standard exists.

Starbucks also stated that because of this incident, the promotional reward of a storage bag after purchasing 17 beverages, which began in May, would be discontinued and replaced with new product rewards. Consumers could also choose a Starbucks reward card worth 30,000 Korean won. Regarding the incident, the apology said the company would strengthen safety verification for future peripheral products to prevent similar problems from recurring.

Image source: Internet

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