Zunbao Pizza Employee Arrested for Sprinkling Dandruff into Food at Hangzhou Branch
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
A disturbing food safety incident at a Zunbao Pizza restaurant in Hangzhou has resulted in criminal charges against a kitchen worker. The male employee was captured on closed-circuit television deliberately contaminating pizzas by scratching his head and sprinkling dandruff into the food. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at approximately 7:34 PM at the Binhe Plaza branch in Hangzhou's Gongshu District, was spotted by a vigilant customer using the "Bright Kitchen" live streaming feature on a food delivery platform. The footage, which subsequently went viral on social media, showed the employee named Yang repeatedly scratching his head above prepared pizzas, making motions resembling sprinkling seasoning, and even spitting before leaving the enclosed preparation area. Two female colleagues were present throughout but made no attempt to intervene, with the male employee even laughing and chatting with them during the acts. Following the public outcry, police intervened and Yang was detained for 7 days under administrative detention for the offense of picking quarrels and provoking trouble. The market supervision department has launched a formal investigation into the franchise, while the company has stated that the contaminated pizza was destroyed and never reached any customers. The store remains closed for rectification and is cooperating fully with authorities.
Key Points
- Incident occurred at Zunbao Pizza's Binhe Plaza outlet in Hangzhou's Gongshu District on September 12 at approximately 7:34 PM
- Employee Yang was caught on CCTV scratching his head and sprinkling dandruff onto pizzas, also spitting into food
- Customer discovered the contamination through a food delivery platform's "Bright Kitchen" live camera feature
- The affected pizza was immediately destroyed and did not enter the market; Yang was detained for 7 days
- Store was closed for rectification; market regulators have opened a formal investigation
Why It Matters
The incident exposes serious vulnerabilities in food safety supervision at chain restaurants, even with real-time monitoring systems in place. Zunbao Pizza, founded in 1998, operates over 3,000 outlets nationwide , making any systemic failures potentially far-reaching. This case underscores the importance of staff training and internal accountability, as the presence of two witnesses who failed to intervene highlights a critical breakdown in workplace food safety culture. The public backlash and police involvement signal that such violations carry significant legal and reputational consequences for both employees and franchise operators.
The incident exposes serious vulnerabilities in food safety supervision at chain restaurants, even with real-time monitoring systems in place. Zunbao Pizza, founded in 1998, operates over 3,000 outlets nationwide , making any systemic failures potentially far-reaching. This case underscores the importance of staff training and internal accountability, as the presence of two witnesses who failed to intervene highlights a critical breakdown in workplace food safety culture. The public backlash and police involvement signal that such violations carry significant legal and reputational consequences for both employees and franchise operators.