A Hong Kong fruit shop has sparked an online debate after a photo showed a staff member repacking loose blueberries into containers bearing the Driscoll’s brand.
The photo, which circulated online on Wednesday (Oct 7), showed a staff member from a local fruit shop chain working on the roadside, with dozens of empty Driscoll’s containers nearby.
A large transparent bag filled with loose blueberries and several Driscoll’s cardboard boxes could also be seen in the photo.
The person who posted the photo questioned the shop’s handling practices and said they were reluctant to buy boxed fruit after seeing the process.
The incident prompted concerns online over hygiene and whether blueberries from different sources could have been mixed together.
Some commenters accused the shop of trying to pass off other blueberries as Driscoll’s products, while others said the practice could simply be part of the process of sorting out damaged or spoiled fruit.
One commenter who said they had previously worked in a cold-storage facility said such sorting was common, with spoiled berries removed before the remaining fruit was repackaged for sale.
Others pointed out that the staff member was wearing a mask, gloves, a cap and protective sleeves, saying the hygiene precautions appeared reasonable.
In response to the online discussion, the shop told Sing Tao Headline, a sister publication of The Standard, that the staff member was conducting quality control at the time.
The shop said some blueberries in certain batches may be damaged, and the employee was sorting through the berries and removing those that did not meet its standards.
The shop also denied allegations that it had mixed blueberries from different sources or misrepresented their origins, saying the actual origins of its blueberries matched the information shown on their packaging.
It said it would not sell substandard fruit to customers and described some of the claims circulating online as untrue.
