In the wake of last week’s cockroach incident, Saizeriya have offcially admitted to and apologized for the scandal. Yesterday, they also announced they will suspend the sale of drinks at all outlets.
On January 2, when two customers were dining at the Saizeriya outlet on North Sichuan Road, they found a cockroach and a cockroach leg in their drinks. Following the incident, they filed a report to the supervision department of Hongkou District.
After an investigation, the outlet was asked to suspend the self-service beverage machines immediately. Shanghai Municipal Food and Drug Administration (SHFDA) also remarked that they would talk with representatives of Saizeriya regarding the hygiene issue.
READ MORE: Cockroaches Found in Drinks at Saizeriya
Yesterday, Saizeriya made an official apology. According to the apology, their executives had been approached by SHFDA on January 5 and were demanded to formulate appropriate rectification plans. Saizeriya have since examined all outlets and discovered that self-service drink dispensers at a number of locations have hygiene issues, which would easily result in further pest problems. To rectify this, they have suspended drinking machines at all outlets, pending an upgrade. For example, all wooden closets will be replaced stainless steel.
“It’s our bad that we neglected these blind spots of management,” said the director of the East China department of Saizeriya. “Except for the self-service beverage machines, we will also ask our suppliers to examine, clean and maintain the equipment in our kitchens. Moreover, the frequency of pest prevention will be adjusted.”
“I believe the scandal of Saizeriya is merely the tip of the iceberg,” comments one netizen. “Nowadays, more and more self-service beverage machines have been put into use. Convenient as they are, we can easily become the victims of food hazards as long as the operators don’t take it seriously.”
The director of SHFDA advises they are aware of the seriousness of this issue. Next, they will launch a citywide inspection and if any misdeed is spotted, the restaurant will receive severe penalties.
