A food hygiene controversy has erupted in Wenzhou, China, after a male employee at a Korean fried chicken restaurant was allegedly caught scratching inside his trousers for more than 20 seconds before immediately returning to work and handling food packaging.
The incident was captured by the restaurant’s kitchen monitoring system, part of a transparency initiative designed to allow customers to see food preparation areas. Instead, the footage showed behaviour that quickly sparked widespread concern over restaurant hygiene and food safety.
According to reports, the incident occurred at the Wenzhou Wanda Mall outlet of Lemon Captain Korean Fried Chicken. Footage circulating online reportedly showed the employee standing in the food preparation area before putting his right hand inside his trousers and scratching himself.
The employee then removed his hand and returned to his duties without apparently washing or sanitising his hands.
Worker allegedly handled food packaging immediately afterwards
The footage reportedly shows the worker picking up takeaway containers shortly after the incident and continuing with the restaurant’s normal food preparation and packing process.
The lack of handwashing or sanitisation became the main source of public outrage, with many social media users questioning whether customers could have been exposed to bacteria or other contaminants.
The incident was particularly embarrassing for the restaurant because the behaviour was captured by its own “open kitchen” monitoring system.
Such systems are intended to improve transparency by allowing customers to monitor food preparation and encourage businesses to maintain proper hygiene standards. In this case, however, the footage provided a direct view of an alleged breach of basic food handling practices.
The video subsequently spread across Chinese social media platforms, attracting strong reactions from viewers who said they would be reluctant to purchase food from the outlet after seeing the footage.
Restaurant outlet shut after video went viral
Following the online backlash, the affected outlet reportedly stopped operating.
Reports stated that the restaurant’s headquarters became aware of the circulating footage on the evening of Aug. 11 and contacted the outlet to deal with the incident.
The restaurant was subsequently closed while the matter was investigated.
The Wenzhou Ouhai District Market Supervision and Administration Bureau also became involved. Authorities reportedly imposed administrative penalties on the outlet and ordered all fried chicken products held at the premises to be destroyed.
The employee involved was also reportedly dismissed from his job.
The incident has raised broader questions about food safety standards in restaurants, particularly the importance of hand hygiene among employees who handle food and packaging.
Business licence reportedly set for cancellation
The restaurant’s headquarters initially indicated that the outlet could potentially reopen after completing the necessary rectification measures and passing the relevant inspections.
However, the latest developments reportedly indicate that the person responsible for the outlet has instead decided to cease operations and prepare to cancel the business licence.
The case serves as a reminder that food safety problems can have significant consequences for restaurants, extending beyond the immediate incident to potential regulatory action, reputational damage and loss of customer confidence.
For consumers, the footage also highlights why proper hygiene procedures are essential in commercial kitchens. Basic measures such as handwashing and sanitisation are particularly important whenever employees move between personal activities and food-handling duties.
The incident has since become a widely discussed example of how restaurant surveillance intended to reassure customers can also expose serious alleged hygiene lapses when employees fail to follow proper food safety procedures.