Sulbing, one of South Korea’s largest shaved ice dessert chains, is facing criticism after a video appeared to show an employee preparing desserts while wearing the same gloves used to wash dishes and handle food waste.
The footage, which spread across social media over the weekend, was originally uploaded by a part-time employee as a workplace vlog. The original video has since been deleted.
In the video, an employee wearing blue nitrile gloves is seen placing cookies and mango slices on shaved ice desserts by hand.
Later scenes appear to show the employee washing dishes, touching a sink strainer containing food residue and disposing of food waste without changing gloves.
A caption stating that workers must “wash dishes whenever they have time” fueled speculation that the employee may have returned to preparing desserts without replacing the gloves. The video, however, does not show the entire work process, making it unclear whether the gloves were changed between scenes.
The footage drew criticism online, with users questioning the hygiene practices shown and raising concerns about possible cross contamination.
Food service establishments in Korea are required to handle and prepare food hygienically and take measures to prevent contamination. It was not immediately clear whether the practices shown in the video constituted a violation of food safety regulations.
Sulbing had not issued an official statement as of Monday.
seungku99@heraldcorp.com
