Photos, transcript spread on Threads

Not directly related to the article. [AI-generated image]
Not directly related to the article. [AI-generated image]

A customer has claimed to have found what appeared to be an insect in a drink purchased at a well-known franchise coffee chain.

A post titled "Cockroach found in OO Coffee vanilla latte" went viral on the social media platform Threads on Monday, drawing wide attention.

The author, identified only as A, said they had nearly finished a vanilla latte from a franchise coffee shop when something got caught in their mouth. "I thought it might be lemon," A wrote, "but there's no way a vanilla latte would have lemon in it, so I wondered if it could be a bug — and sure enough, when I spat it out, it was."

Photos shared alongside the post showed a disposable cup with a small amount of vanilla latte remaining and a dark foreign object resting on a tissue. Another image captured what appeared to be an insect with brown legs and a black body, resembling a cockroach.

A said the discovery left them severely nauseated, prompting multiple trips to the bathroom to vomit.

A then called the store to explain the situation, but said a staff member responded with what seemed like a laughing tone, saying only, "I'm sorry if we caused you discomfort. We've never had a complaint like this before."

Angered by what they described as an indifferent response, A asked the public for advice on whether there was "any recourse beyond a refund."

Online commenters reacted with frustration. "Their response is infuriating — what are we supposed to do with 'this has never happened before'?" one wrote. Others said, "This is no laughing matter — do they want to get shut down?" and "Saying 'this has never happened' is the most irresponsible thing you can say." Several urged A to file a report with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

A subsequently filed a report with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. A screenshot shared by A showed the complaint had been received by the ministry's Food Safety Management Division, with the status listed as "received."

The franchise's headquarters said it apologized to A and processed a refund.

A representative of Mega MGC Coffee said Tuesday the company was "closely reviewing in-store CCTV footage and the manufacturing process," adding that "the exact circumstances of how the object entered the drink have not been confirmed." The representative said the store "receives regular pest control management from a professional extermination company" and that the company had "conducted equipment cleaning and an inspection of possible entry routes, keeping all possibilities in mind, including external introduction." The company added it would "review its hygiene management processes and strengthen hygiene and customer service training to prevent similar incidents in the future."


jshan@heraldcorp.com