What's Brewing in Your Milk Tea? An Industry Abound with Controversy

According to the lunar calendar and 24 solar terms, we have already officially entered autumn, if you can believe that. And once again, the hashtag “The first cup of milk tea in the autumn” has climbed to the trending topics rank, mostly as a promotional gimmick as famous milk tea chains, but also as an excuse for the couples to show off on Qixi.

However, before you take that first fall fill-up, you might consider a look into what exactly is in your mil tea – besides sugar, that is. Recently a few scandals exposed by business insiders may have you on a milk-tea-free diet for quite a while.

As the rising star of among tea-based beverage chains, Nayuki’s was the first to go public. However, a recent undercover investigation did by Xinhua News Agency revealed the dirty secrets they hide behind their fancy storefronts. 

The reporters forged an identity and got a position in a branch of Nayuki’s Tea in Beijing only to find that this well-known milk tea brand’s standard is no way near its prices. In their Xidan Joycity branch, cockroaches joined the crew behind the counter, and staff would falsify that expiration date of produce with ease. In another branch at Chang’an Shopping Mall, employees embraced a thrifty spirit – a bit too thrifty, as inferior fruits were still used after carving out the part went bad.

The report startled netizens, particularly those who make milk tea consumption a daily habit, and the devastating impact has shown its prowess on the market as Nayuki’s stock dipped by eight percent almost immediately after the news was released. Meanwhile, the two locations in question have been closed down for internal investigation.

Unfortunately, problematic milk tea is not a rare sight to see. Before its catchy theme song broke the Internet, Mixuebingcheng was caught requiring its employees to change the date of the ingredient packages after opening them and even forging the trackable QR codes on the products.

Besides concerns around food safety and quality requirements, copycat brands are another devil of the industry. Taking Coco Milk Tea as an example, police in Beijing Fengtai District recently shut down 21 stores going by names including Coco Joanna, Coco Iris, and so on, which violated the trademark right registered by Coco Milk Tea.

Overall, this industry is a lucrative business but one that clearly requires additional supervision and stricter standards. The temptation of becoming a listed company and expanding their commercial territory accelerate the pace of recruiting new franchise outlets while lowering standards becomes strong and needs to be checked.

As for consumers, it may just be safer, healthier, and heck cheaper to mix your own drink at home next time. Let us know your favorite milk tea in the comment section below, and we may come up with affordable home recipes in our following blogs.

READ: Should Dogs Get Served in Beijing’s Restaurants? A Debate Worth Barking Over

Images: 图虫, 钱江晚报, Sohu, 新华社