A woman in Shanxi province has sounded the alarm on food safety after discovering a broken battery in her takeout meal, prompting an investigation by local market regulators and a dispute with the restaurant over responsibility.
A long-time customer of a large restaurant in Taiyuan, identified only as Wang, reported that she found a damaged battery in her mouth while eating a takeout meal on April 26.
After immediately contacting the restaurant and inducing vomiting, she began experiencing a burning sensation in her throat.
Wang alleges that the restaurant was uncooperative, refusing to accompany her for a medical examination and suggesting the foreign object could have been placed by a delivery driver.
"The staff had a bad attitude, said they had no obligation to accompany me, and refused to provide contact information for the manager," she stated in a social media post that quickly gained attention.
Frustrated by the lack of resolution, she reported the incident to the Taiyuan Xiaodian District Administration for Market Regulation.
She has since undergone a self-funded medical examination. While initial results showed one indicator that was low, potentially suggesting metabolic acidosis, the crucial heavy metal test results are still pending.
Wang continues to suffer from a sore throat, stomach discomfort, and acid reflux and reports experiencing anxiety and sleeplessness since the incident. She has retained the contaminated meal as evidence.
A representative from the restaurant, referred to as a "food palace," confirmed that they are aware of the complaint and are cooperating with the market supervision department's investigation.
The staff member explained that the dish in question was prepared in a large batch on the morning of April 26 and that no other similar complaints have been received.
The restaurant has pushed back on immediate responsibility, citing the complex logistics of food delivery.
"There are many steps in the process, from our staff to the delivery rider and drop-off points. It's difficult at this stage to determine where the broken battery came from," the employee said, adding that a full investigation would require video evidence from the entire delivery chain.
The restaurant also confirmed that it did not keep a sample of the meal for inspection. While they stated they would provide surveillance footage from their kitchen if required by investigators, they declined to comment further on their food preparation procedures.
The Taiyuan Xiaodian District Administration for Market Regulation has confirmed that it has assigned staff to investigate the food safety incident.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
