Milk tea chain outlet suspended after cockroach allegation

An outlet of the popular milk tea chain Yidiandian (A Little Tea) in Putuo District was suspended from operating by the district market watchdog on Tuesday in the wake of an alleged cockroach scandal.

The suspension came after a consumer claimed a cockroach was found in a cup of black Macchiato tea ordered from the Jinshajiang shop of the milk tea chain on November 11. However, watchdog officials did not find any signs of cockroaches at the scene.

Furthermore, the store had carried out pest prevention procedures, the officials said.

The consumer, who demanded 50,000 yuan (US$7,692) in compensation, said the order had been delivered by the food delivery platform ele.me.

Half of the drink had been finished when the cockroach was spotted, and it was "extremely disgusting," the consumer said. Photographs online were posted purporting to show the drink with the cockroach in it.

The consumer was refused compensation as revealed in photos, also posted online, of the WeChat talk record between the complainant and the operation manager of the milk tea chain outlet.

The Putuo District Market Supervision and Management Bureau said on Tuesday it had conducted inspections at the shop following the incident.

It also had an agreement with professional pest termination agencies to regularly conduct checks and kill any pests at the store.

The bureau didn't comment as to whether there was any truth in the claims made about the cockroach. But as a precaution, it ordered the outlet to stop operations and to make rectification. Yidiandian should enhance management of hygiene conditions, the bureau ordered.

There was a similar online complaint concerning Yidiandian this month from a consumer in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

This consumer said a cockroach was seen in a black tea latte bought from a Yidiandian outlet in the city but "no solution was offered," the consumer added.