After "Naked Kimchi" and "Urine Beer," Now "Date-Washed Bread"... Suspicious Activity at Chinese Bakery

Date Labels on Packaging Repeatedly Replaced
Following "Naked Kimchi" and "Urine Beer," Now Date Alteration Scandal
Similar Methods Previously Found with Meat and Beverage Ingredients

Footage has emerged of a bakery in China replacing date labels on bread with new ones, sparking controversy over food safety. On July 26, a video purportedly filmed at a bakery in China began to circulate widely on social media platforms and social networking services (SNS). The video shows a woman, who appears to be a store employee, removing existing date labels from bread packaging and attaching new ones. Several new labels, seemingly prepared for the replacement, were stacked around her.

A scene has been captured at a bakery in China where the date labels on bread are being replaced with new ones, sparking a food safety controversy. SNS

According to combined online comments and witness accounts, the original label reportedly showed the date as July 25, while the newly attached label displayed July 26. However, it remains unclear whether these dates referred to the production date, expiration date, or sell-by date. The video was said to be filmed in Xianning, Hubei Province, China, yet the exact name of the store, the time of filming, and whether the products shown were actually sold remain unconfirmed. The original poster commented that "it is difficult for ordinary consumers to determine whether bread is old just by smelling it" and expressed concern, stating, "It is also hard to tell by appearance whether the label has been changed, which raises the risk of food poisoning."

Online viewers of the video shared similar concerns, commenting, "If they even change the labels, how are consumers supposed to tell?" "If products that should be disposed of are re-sold, there should be strict punishment," and "This is very dangerous, especially since children also eat bread."

This is not the first time label replacement or the use of expired ingredients has been uncovered in China. In April 2024, there were suspicions that a large supermarket in Beijing sold the same cuts of meat day after day with changed production dates. A Chinese influencer revealed a video showing that meat with the same color and texture as what they had purchased was again on display the next day, but with a new production date. At that time, the influencer claimed the supermarket switched dates and sold the same meat for four consecutive days. As the controversy grew, local market regulation authorities reportedly launched an investigation.

In 2021, it was discovered through undercover reporting by local media that two Starbucks stores in Jiangsu Province, China, used beverage ingredients past their expiration dates and replaced date labels. Starbucks China responded by closing those stores and launching an internal investigation. Experts point out that if label manipulation is confirmed, it goes beyond a simple labeling violation and poses risks to consumer health and freedom of choice, as consumers especially rely on indicated storage dates for products like bread, where spoilage cannot be easily detected by appearance or smell. In relation to the latest video, there is growing demand for local authorities to investigate the precise filming location, the business involved, and whether the products shown were actually sold or distributed.

Meanwhile, public distrust toward the food industry in China has only grown in the wake of incidents known as the "Naked Kimchi" and "Urine Beer" scandals. In 2021, a widely circulated video showed a man without clothes inside a large tank salting cabbage, which sparked widespread criticism. However, whether the cabbages in the video were actually used in kimchi exported to Korea remains unverified.

In 2023, another video surfaced from the Tsingtao Brewery’s No. 3 plant in Shandong Province, showing a man in work clothes urinating in the storage area for malt, a raw ingredient for beer. Tsingtao Brewery stated that they sealed all affected ingredients, and domestic importers confirmed that products from that particular plant had not been imported to Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.