Despite reassurances that the beer was not for the export market, South Korean consumer skepticism remains. A Chinese video on social media has caused considerable public outrage in South Korea, leading many consumers to vow never to purchase the popular Chinese beer again. The video, which surfaced on various Chinese social media platforms on Oct. 19, showed an employee illegally entering a malt storage facility at Tsingtao Brewery’s third plant and urinating in one of its tanks. This video quickly gained traction and became a top trending topic on platforms like Weibo, leading to the incident being dubbed “The Tsingtao Beer Urination Scandal.”
In response, Tsingtao Brewery Co. issued an official statement on Oct. 20, acknowledging the incident and reporting it to public security authorities, who have initiated an investigation. The affected malt batch has been quarantined. However, the incident has raised doubts among Chinese consumers about the integrity of Tsingtao Beer, a brand with a 120-year legacy and a leading position in China’s beer market. The third plant involved in the controversy is touted as “Asia’s largest and most efficient world-class smart factory” with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million kiloliters.
The repercussions of this incident have extended to South Korea, a significant market for Tsingtao Beer. Despite reassurances from the South Korean import agent that the beer meant for domestic and export markets is produced in separate facilities, skepticism among South Korean consumers remains. Seo Kyoung-duk, a South Korean social activist and professor, highlighted the broader issue of food safety in China and urged the South Korean government to increase scrutiny of imported Chinese food products.
This incident is not an isolated case but part of a history of startling food safety incidents in China. Previous incidents, such as a student finding a rat’s head in their cafeteria meal and employees trampling over pickled vegetables with their feet, have further eroded public trust in Chinese domestic food products. Scandals involving toxic ingredients in infant formula and chemically engineered fake eggs have also damaged consumer confidence. The Tsingtao “urination incident” highlights the gaps in food safety measures within China’s production chain and could potentially affect confidence not only in Chinese products but also in the credibility of the Communist regime.